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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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Dwight Lyman Moody. Copyright 1900 by D. W. Caskey, J1 



LIFE AND WORK 



OF 



Dwight L. Moody 



The Great Evangelist of the XlXth Century 

The Founder of Northfield Seminary, Mount 

Herman School for Boys and the 

Chicago Bible Institute 

• By Rev. A. W. Williams, 

Author of ''Armenia under the Curse of Islam," 
WITH AN INTRODUCTION 

By Lawrence M. Colfelt, D.D. 

And Special Presentations of his Character, 
Worth and Work 

By Bishop Cyrus D. Foss, D. D., LL. D., Kerr Boyce Tupper, D. D., 

S. W. Dana, D. D., Floyd W. Tomkins, D. D., 

Revs. F. B. Meyer, A. C. Dixon, John McNeill, 

and others 

FULLY ILLUSTRATED 
P. W. ZIEGLER & CO., 

PHILADELPHIA AND CHICAGO. 



TWO Copies RECEIVED, 

Library of Cermet* 
Offlco of the 

APR 5 - 1900 

K»glit«r of Copyright* 



56?94 



Copyright 1900 

By 

A. W. Williams. 



A^ 



SECOND COPY, 



PREFACE 

The world's final judgment concerning its great men will 
always be based upon the moral influences which they have 
incarnated. 

Whether estimated by the moral qualities which go to 
make up personal character, or by the extent to which he im- 
pressed himself upon the life of his generation, the verdict 
given by Professor Drummond some years ago when he said: 
"There is, perhaps, no more truly great man living than D. 
L. Moody", will be confirmed by the tribunal of the ages. 

With the closing of the century, the most remarkable man 
who lived in it, one whose name will live with that of Wash- 
ington, the father of his country, with that of Lincoln, the 
savior of it, one who preached to more millions of men the 
gospel of the grace of God for the salvation of a lost and 
ruined world, who won more souls to Jesus Christ than any 
other man who ever lived, the mightiest evangelist, save the 
great Apostle to the Gentiles, ever sent to call men to repen- 
tance, the iron-hearted, the grace-refined, the glory-crowned 
man of God — Dwight L. Moody — passed on to his rest and 
his reward. 

This volume is but a modest tribute of praise to the work and 
worth of one who never sought and little cared for the praise 
of men, whose best memorial is being built up out of the liv- 
ing stones he quarried from many a pit of sin. More impres- 
sive and imperishable than any shaft of marble, or statue of 
bronze are the granite foundations laid at Northfield, Mount 
Hermon and in the heart of Chicago. Of him it may be truly 
said: "That mighty works do follow him." His name shall 
be had in everlasting remembrance. 

As the mysterious and marvelous beauty of the sunlight re- 
veals itself when falling on the polished facets of a priceless 



PREFACE. 

gem, or on broken bits of glass lying on the sands; when 
flashing in the spray of some water-fall in the glen, or when 
shining clear and strong through the departing rain, it 
throws upon the eastern skies the rainbow's mighty arch: so 
the glory of the Sun of Righteousness reveals itself as 
it falls upon and irradiates Dwight L. Moody and the multi- 
tudes of precious souls redeemed through his labors by the 
wondrous power and love of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

In the hope that this record of the life and work of Mr. 
Moody may be a source of interest and profit to all who read 
it — an echo of the evangelist's voice which shall prolong his 
extraordinary ministry, and a means of saving many souls, it 
is committed to the pleasure of the public, and to the favor of 
Almighty God. A. W. WILLIAMS. 

Philadelphia, January, 1900. 



I. 
II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XL 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXL 

XXII. 

XXIII. 



CONTENTS 

Preface 3 

Introduction 9 

Boyhood and Early Life 21 

Goes out into the World 40 

Early Career in Chicago 51 

Begins to Live by Faith 70 

Young Men's Christian Association 79 

Builds His First Church 94 

Farwell Hall 105 

Finds a Larger Sphere 118 

The Great Chicago Fire 134 

Moody and Sankey in England 150 

Great Work in Scotland 175 

The Great Revival in Philadelphia 192 

Northfield Seminary Life 209 

By Mrs. A. W. Yale (One of the girls.) 

The Northfield Conference 233 

By Rev. W. Dayton Roberts, D.D. 

Mount Hermon 262 

The World's Fair Campaign 271 

The Chicago Bible Institute 290 

Mr. Moody's Last Campaign 300 

The Funeral at Northfield 330 

Memorial Services in Philadelphia 344 

What Moody Was 347 

By Bishop Cyrus D. Foss, D.D., LL.D. 



CONTENTS. 

XXIV. At the Funeral — an Address 350 

By Hon. John Wanamaker. 

XXV. How Northfield Seminary Originated 355 

By Ira D. Sankey. 
XXVI. Lessons from His Character and Career . . . 358 
By Rev. S. W. Dana, D.D. 

XXVII. Mr. Moody's Sincerity 363 

By Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins, D.D. 

XXVIII. My Last Talk with Moody 366 

By Rev. Wayland Hoyt, D.D. 

XXIX. Dwight L. Moody as a Man -369 

By Kerr Boyce Tupper, D.D. 

XXX. The Man and his Message 374 

By Rev. A. C. Dixon. 
XXXI. Mr. Moody's Impress on the Religious Life 

of Scotland 382 

By John McMurtrie, D.D., of Edinburgh. 

XXXII. A Tribute from Glasgow 387 

• By Rev. John McNeill. 

XXXIII. A Tribute from London 391 

By Rev. F. B. Meyer. 

XXXIV. A Tribute from the South 397 

By Rev. W111. E. Hatcher, D.D. 
XXXV. Moody as a Preacher 402 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

1. Dwight Lyman Moody. Portrait Frontispiece 

2. Moody in his Library 32 

3. Birthplace of Mr. Moody 33 

4. Mrs. Moody and Grandchildren 56 

5. Mr. Moody's First Sunday School Class. "Does 

it Pay?" 56 

6. Mr. Moody's First Sunday School Class. "It does 

Pay." 56 

7. Mr. Moody's Mother 57 

8. Ira D. Sankey. Portrait 128 

9. Rev. F. B. Meyer. Portrait 129 

10. Henry Drummond. Portrait 144 

ir. Rev. G. Campbell Morgan. Portrait 145 

12. John Wanamaker. Portrait 192 

13. Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman. Portrait 193 

14. Old Depot in Philadelphia. Interior 208 

15. Old Depot in Philadelphia. Exterior 209 

16. View of Northfield Seminary 209 

17. Marquand Hall 210 

18. Talcott Library 211 

19. Skinner Gymnasium 212 

20. Model of Solomon's Temple at Northfield 213 

21. Main Street, looking South 215 

22. Main Street, looking North 215 

23. Main Street, looking South from Belden Rock 216 

24. Old Field House 217 

25. An Old Northfield Residence 217 

26. Mr. Moody's Home, from the North 218 

2J. Rear of Marquand Hall 219 

28. View from Tower of Auditorium 219 

29. Main Street, East Northfield 220 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

30. Northfield from Across the River 221 

31. Old Bridge Across Connecticut River 221 

32. The Moody Residence 223 

33. Residence of A. P. Fitt, Mr. Moody's Son-in-law . . 223 

34. Mr. Moody's Donkey 225 

35. Marquand Hall, from Residence of D. L. Moody . . 225 

36. Main Street, East Northfield, looking North 227 

37. Old East Northfield Post Office 227 

38. Round Top 229 

39. Minnehaha Lake 229 

40. View from Round Top 230 

41. A Northfield Residence 231 

42. Hotel Northfield 231 

43. View of Northfield 233 

44. Meeting upon Round Top 234 

45. South Vernon Station 235 

46. Store at South Vernon 235 

47. Congregational Church 236 

48. The Auditorium 237 

49. Meeting of August Conference in Auditorium .... 237 

50. Residence of Dr. A. T. Pierson 238 

51. Site of First Y. M. C. A. Camp 239 

52. View from Camp Northfield 239 

53. Group of Campers 240 

54. Farewell to Camp Northfield 240 

55. Rev. R. A. Torrey. Portrait 288 

56. Reading Room, Chicago Institute 289 

57. Chicago Institute Staircase 289 

58. Chicago Institute Class of '99 3°4 

59. Rev. C. L. Scofield. Portrait 305 

60. Mr. Moody in his Carriage 3 20 

61. Sankey and his Friends at Northfield 3 21 

62. Mr. Moody Leading Morning Prayers at Camp 

Northfield ." 33°" 

63. Snap-shot of Moody 337 



INTRODUCTION 

By Rev. Lawrence M. Colfelt, D. D. 

In the magnificent chapter of De Toqueville's Democracy, 
he traces the gradual but irresistible progress of Democracy 
through modern European history. He points out how the 
most considerable events and most opportune discoveries 
have alike ministered to the growth of the power of the peo- 
ple. The crusades which desolated and impoverished the 
great feudatory families, the invention of gunpowder which 
makes the common soldier a more destructive power than the 
Homeric Chief; the invention of the printing press which 
placed knowledge within the reach of the humblest, in Eng- 
land the "Wars of the Roses" which overthrew the Barons, 
in France the policy of the Kings which in alliance with the 
people humbled and subjected the nobles — the reformation 
with its vindication of the paramount authority of the Scrip- 
ture and the indefeasible right of private judgment — all alike 
ministered to the silent rise of Democracy, and the steady ac- 
cumulation of power in the hands of the people. 

This process has been silently and irresistibly going on 
from the beginning of the nineteenth century to its close. 
The most important fact in the secular history of the century 
has been the steady expansion of the reign of the people. 
The most significant fact in the religious history of the cen- 
tury has been the tendency to alienation on the part of the 
masses from the church and Christianity. It was the very na- 
ture of Christ's religion that "the common people heard him 
gladly," and "to the poor the gospel is preached." Jesus 



io INTRODUCTION. 

Christ, whom we call Master and Lord, had only sweet smell- 
ing hay for his first infant bed. For thirty years of His life 
He was only known as a thoughtful, high-minded working 
man. The hands that blessed the children, healed the sick 
and raised the dead, were labor hardened with years of toil. 
He displaced forever all the burdensome rites and ceremonies 
which had pressed for centuries so heavily on the people. The 
founder of Christianity took the two commonest actions of 
life, washing and eating, and made them the symbols of the 
Christian sacraments — of the indwelling presence of God him- 
self, thereby consecrating the natural elements and making 
the whole of man's common-place life sacramental. The 
Christianity of Christ was, from beginning to end, an absolute 
and unique assertion of the dignity — the spiritual priesthood 
of man as man apart from all social distinction. If then 
Christianity and the people ever become in a measure separa- 
ted, must there not be fault somewhere? If the whole ten- 
dency of the century has been toward Democracy, and it is the 
essential characteristic of Christianity to be intensely demo- 
cratic, then there must be something inherently lacking in our 
nineteenth century presentation of Christianity which fails to 
attract the masses. 

How shall the masses be reached? How shall Christianity 
restore its ancient power over the people? How shall they be 
brought once more to mingle in church worship and at the 
family table of all God's children. This has been the gravest 
religious question for the solution of our century. How is 
this mighty power of the people to be made a Christianized 
power owning obedience to the eternal laws which are the ul- 
timate bonds of rule? On the solution of this question de- 



INTRODUCTION. n 

pends the future welfare of the nation and the race. The min- 
isters of all denominations have felt the supreme gravity of 
this problem. Individuals have searched their own hearts 
and vexed their minds to the utmost, in order to find some re- 
ply. Conference after conference has been held for the pur- 
pose of desiderating and defining methods of religious attrac- 
tion to which the masses will respond. But the method of 
Providence has never been to accomplish revolutions by 
means of conferences and councils. When He wanted Chris- 
tianity to burst the long venerated bonds of Judaism, to plant 
the standard of the cross on the ruins of Levitical observan- 
ces, and to expand Christianity from a provincial faith to a 
world-wide religion, He raised up the Apostle Paul. When 
God wanted to rescue the Christian Church from the corrup- 
tion of the Romish Hierarchy he filled the soul of Martin 
Luther with moral indignation. The method of Providence 
has ever been to precipitate revolution by means of individ- 
uals. So when the hour had come to solve the problem of 
reaching the masses he reared and consecrated Dwight L. 
Moody. e While others were conferring and philosophizing 
he plunged without plan or system or preconception of any 
kind into the actual work of bringing the people to Christ 
and His church. He was given of God as an object lesson 
of the way in which the problem of the century is to be solved. 
What was the secret of his success in accomplishing that 
which was the despair of the church and her ministry? Was 
it his gifts? No; many possessed larger endowments who 
are less successful. Was it his rhetorical utterance and force 
of expression? No; many are more eloquent with fewer and 
meaner results. Was it the holy consistency of his life? No; 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

many as saintly men are less useful. What, then, was the 
secret of Mr. Moody's extraordinary power over the masses? 
It is not in our power to define such a subtle thing as the 
influence of this remarkable man for many of the most im- 
portant elements will evaporate in the analysis. 

But first among the qualities which made him the evangel- 
ist of the century was the fact that he was the religious tribune 
of the people. He had the gift of establishing confidence at 
once with every hearer. He entered in at their doors and 
then made them go out by his. This capacity to enter into 
the soul of the average man to feel its pulse, to diagnose its 
wants, to express to itself its own aspiration was the peculiar 
gift of Mr. Moody; God-given without doubt, but also accen- 
tuated by the fact that he was himself a man of the people 
and had passed personally through all the shades of human 
experience. He did not need to stoop to men in order to ad- 
dress them. He was already one of them — had lived their 
life — pulsated with their experience. To get into a state of 
sympathy with the masses required no effort on his part. To 
have a fellow feeling for them involved no condescension. 
It was well for Mr. Moody that he had no college education. 
For the study of books is not enough to reach the masses. 
The study of the habits, minds, manners of men is most im- 
portant — otherwise knowledge is like gold buried in the 
mountains. 'The Good Shepherd knows his sheep and is 
known of them." It was this practical knowledge intuitive 
and acquired which enabled Mr. Moody to bring Christianity 
into contact with the masses. 

There is a tendency among the people to fancy themselves 
despised by the learned. Suspicion on that point is fatal to 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

anyone attempting to reach them. The people are impla- 
cable of the conscious superiority of culture. It savors of 
contempt. And they can forgive those who oppress them 
and overwork them, but they will not forgive those who be- 
tray the consciousness that they are their superiors. To be 
looked down upon is the last indignity. In the presence of 
Mr. Moody all suspicion of this sort yielded at once. Not a 
shadow of distrust was possible for an instant. They felt 
"themselves in the presence of a man who reverenced them as 
his peers. He secured at once the unprejudiced attention of 
every hearer. This done, he went directly to the main point 
stirred up men's consciences, appealed to the better part of 
human nature, to those sentiments which caused their hearts 
to vibrate most and then elevated their souls, warning them 
from the prepossessions of indifference, worldliness and pas- 
sion, and imparting to them the inspiration of Christianity. 

The accent of conviction was a powerful factor in Mr. 
Moody's preaching. He spoke with the authority of vitalized 
experience. There was never anything vague or wavering 
in the content of his thought. What an intense spiritual flow 
there is in his words! Whatever may have been his intellect- 
ual limitations, there is never any hesitation as to his own in- 
tense faith. His realization of divine truth as a solid reality 
— his spiritual certitude is never for a moment disturbed or 
darkened by a subtility or inconsistency. The rock is always 
beneath his feet. The divine foundation is never doubtful. 
Lay preaching has often been opposed by ecclesiastics on the 
ground that it would give rise to heresy. But if church his- 
tory is Worthy any reliance, not laymen but learned ecclesi- 
astics have generally been the originators of heresy. In 



14 INTRODUCTION. 

point of soundness in the faith, Mr. Moody could have given 
lessons in theology to not a few who though ordained teachers 
in the churches are giving forth no better light than that of 
wandering stars. 

Mr. Moody's loyalty to the Scriptures was supreme. The 
Bible had all its meaning to him as a direct revelation from 
God. He saw God everywhere moving through its holy 
pages and instructing him — the living God to whom he could 
go as having the words of eternal life. All his knowledge 
and thought began in the word of God. It was this which 
made him so jealous of certain modes of historical criticism 
which it must be freely confessed he did not fully appreciate. 
But in the presence of Moody it was not possible to doubt of 
a divine authority, an inspired Bible. While the scientific 
world was proclaiming "God unknown" and the critical world 
was hiding Him from view with its historical puzzles, there 
was a reality in Moody's faith in the God of the Bible that left 
no room for doubt. No modern preacher was so intensely 
and powerfully Biblical. 

Of all men of our time he seems to have realized most viv- 
idly the atonement, the preeminence of the cross of Christ. 
We do not mean in his personal life merely, but as the center 
of all religion and all life, as the core of all human good — per- 
sonal, domestic, social, national, religious. It was said of 
Spinoza by Novalis that he was a God-intoxicated man. But 
of all modern men Mr. Moody seems to have most deserved 
the name of a Christ-intoxicated man. He lived a life hid 
with Christ. The Christ embraced him. He did not need to 
strive after it or seek it like most men by the path of mystic- 
ism. It was the Alpha and Omega of all his being, the only 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

reality in comparison with which all other things were shad- 
owy. Everything was from Christ with him and all his 
strength came straight out of Christ. It was this more than 
anything which made him a mighty spiritual power. 

He was a man of faith. In respect of temporal things his 
trust in God was simple and strong. With no stated income 
he seemed to be above care. His check book was the Word 
of God which says, "My God shall supply all your needs ac- 
cording to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," and he drew 
larger drafts on this divine bank than any man in modern 
times with possibly the exception of George Muller. In the 
work of winning souls his faith was unbounded and rose to 
the sublime. He had confidence that the eternal love of God 
and the sacrifice of Christ fully presented to men would work 
great results. He believed that the gift of the Holy Ghost 
made the preaching of the gospel the most hopeful business 
of the world. Divine sovereignty and divine love are certain 
to co-operate with the appointed means. And it was to him 
according to his faith! 

But it is not enough to say good things and have faith in 
them — they must be well said. This applies to all preachers 
but more especially to the evangelist. No one requires so 
much natural tact as the successful evangelist. To none is 
the absence of this quality so fatal. Mr. Moody had the wis- 
dom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove. No 
one could surpass him in tactful arrangements of his cam- 
paigns and in creating favorable environments for his audi- 
ences. When he entered into the actual work of preaching 
he thoroughly interested his hearers from start to finish. He 
solved the vital question of how to get men to listen and to 



16 INTRODUCTION. 

cause the gospel truth to reach their ears, their minds, their 
hearts. If one could actually discover this power by which 
he secured a hearing it would solve the greatest problem con- 
fronting the ministry. 

From the outset Mr. Moody excited interest by choosing 
a theme of universal concern, appealing to the great, simple 
passions of the human soul, to the deepest wants of the hu- 
man heart, and by a well digested study of his theme, by a 
perfect adaptation to men as they are, by an unsophisticated 
style, by simplicity of language, by spirited illustrations and 
metaphors drawn from actual incidents of every day life, by 
heart stirring impulses and emotions, he made his audience 
think and feel with him. At times they could divine his train 
of thought and that gratified them. At other times he sur- 
prised them and that, too, would please them. There never 
was anything cold, official or tedious or routine about his 
sermon. If he perceived the attention of his hearers was 
flagging he stimulated it by some lively speech and drew from 
them a smile which bespoke renewed interest and assent. 
But he never used sallies of this kind for their own sake but 
always as a vantage ground for impressing wholesome truth. 
Thus he required attention but did not put a strain upon it. 
He was serious without being wearisome, cheerful without 
catering to the instinct for amusement, stirring without being 
sensational, impressive without being exciting, highly emo- 
tional without being hysterical, intense without tearing pas- 
sion to tatters. 

Invincible optimism was a conspicuous element of his 
method. In his estimation the preaching of the Divine Word 
to the people weaned with toils and cares should be a rest, a 



INTRODUCTION. 17 

joy, or as the Scriptures say, a "refreshment." It should be 
to them what a spring of water surrounded with verdure is to 
wearied soldiers marching through the scorching sun and 
burning sands of Africa. Such was the preaching of Moody. 
Under its breath the souls of men dilated as it were and the 
saddest felt less unhappy. His was the gospel the angels 
sung at the nativity what time they touched our world with 
their wings. "I bring you glad tidings of great joy" was the 
key note of his preaching. His hearers in spite of toils, trials 
and fears, after listening went away saying within themselves, 
"The words of the preacher have cheered me. I feel that life 
is better worth the living." 

But the great secret of Mr. Moody's strength lay in his 
intense self-denying love of souls. To address men well they 
must be loved much. Whatever they may be though never 
so indifferent or guilty, before all and above all they must be 
loved. Love is the sap of the gospel, the magic power of elo- 
quence. The end of preaching is to reclaim the hearts of 
men to God and nothing but love can find out the mysterious 
avenues which lead to the heart. Paul, the great evangelist 
of the Christian Church, overcame heathen prejudice by the 
power of his charity. "I will very gladly spend and be spent 
for you though the more abundantly I love you the less I be 
loved." The silver-tongued Chrysostom in addressing the 
believers said: "I love you and I would willingly give you my 
life!" Dwight L. Moody was the foster child of charity and 
could say with Paul, "Owe no man anything, but to love one 
another." It is this charity which gave him such success in 
evangelical preaching. For the most splendid reasonings 
may be clothed in the grandest phraseology and yet the lis- 



18 INTRODUCTION. 

tener will never fail to find means with which to neutralize 
and upset the elaborate structure of argument. What is re- 
quired in reaching the masses is something new, something 
unexpected. What is that? It is love. For love surprises, 
captivates, is irresistible. And it is a melancholy fact that 
there is small belief in the existence of disinterestedness 
among the people. They think that no one acts without a 
motive of self interest. But when the people meet with one 
who actually is capable of real affection and thorough devot- 
edness toward them they are overcome and yield heartily. 

This was the genius of Mr. Moody. It was not that of high 
intellectual powers. He was a man of ordinary mental gifts 
yet he drew wondering crowds and was the means of comfort- 
ing thousands. In the noblest sense of the word he was the 
mightiest emotional preacher of the century. The audience 
succumbed to the spell of emotion becaus of his own intense 
emotion. His soul may be truly said to have passed into 
theirs. As he portrayed the sorrow of sin and the joy of sal- 
vation, as he pressed his discourses home, all bosoms panted 
because his own panted. All eyes filled with tears because 
his own over-flowed. In a word he reached the hearts of men 
because he had a heart. Local sceptics wherever he went 
were amazed. "This man's logic," said they, "is weak. How 
comes it that he is so attractive?" It came from this that he 
loved the souls of men. He preached affectionately and his 
speech instead of gliding over hearts hardened by intellectual 
pride pierced even to the dividing of the joints and the mar- 
row. 

In his love for souls he constantly tore himself away from 
home and the comforts of life. In the greatness of his love 



INTRODUCTION. 19 

for souls he gave himself to labor without stint for a life-time. 
Not a particle of flesh and blood was undevoted. Every 
power of body and soul was put into the service and used with 
a will that took out of himself all he could get. Because the 
days were evil, he redeemed his time, and so sold his life as 
dearly as possible to the uttermost farthing of vital worth. 
The fire of love burned in his soul till the heat of the zeal con- 
sumed him, and he died of a heroic malady — that of hard work 
for the highest good of humanity. 

If there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one 
sinner saved how delectable the joy of this soul winner in the 
courts above. How many poor sinners in how many lands 
did he lead to Jesus feet to receive a Savior's pardoning grace. 
How many erring Christians did he bring back to the Shep- 
herd and Bishop of their souls? How many little ones did 
he gather from amongst the ignorance, the suffering, the 
misery of this life, to the embrace of the divine arms. What a 
mighty concourse must have gathered about the pearl-gate 
to welcome him who led them to truth, to virtue, and to 
heaven. Was it not to meet this welcome and to enter into 
the joy of his Lord that he bade adieu to the world, left Chris- 
tendom bereaved and his household in tears? ''Earth is re- 
ceding, heaven is opening and God is calling me." 



Of' 



Boyhood and Early Life. 

HERE are in the human race-stock as great and re- 
markable differences in genius, temperament, 
characteristic, powers and accomplishments, as 
there are varieties among the trees of the forest, 
from the magnificent oak and towering pine down 
to the graceful willow by the water courses; or as there are 
among the flowers and vines of the field and garden, from the 
roses and honeysuckles that run along the lattice work of 
New England porches to the graceful and almost sympathetic 
ivy which seeks to hide the crumbling ruins of some old 
church tower from the rude gaze of the passer-by. 

To write a true, revealing biography of a man one should 
begin with his great-grandfather, so as to be able to mark 
the evolutions and involutions of character which have at 
last wrought themselves out in every fibre, nerve and brain 
cell of the child just coming into life. We may, however, 
only turn over the leaves of an old family Bible in a farm- 
house, in Northfield, Mass., which contains this simple rec- 
ord: "Edwin Moody was born November 1st, 1800. Betsy 
Holton was born February 5th, 1805; were married January 
3d, 1828." 

On another page there may be written the name of 
D wight Lyman, born February 5th, 1837. 

The stock is English, of Puritan faith and loyalty to duty, 
and goes back to the earliest settlers of the colony of Massa- 
chusetts. Their lot, that of very many New England families, 
to wrest from a cold, reluctant soil a scanty living; compelled 
to be content if by dint of utmost self-denial, the hardest 
labor in the woods and fields, and by spinning and weaving, 
by sewing and knitting, father and mother could keep the 
wolf outside the door — he was never very far away — could 



22 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

give their children a meagre education and send them out 
into the world with bare hands but stout hearts to renew the 
same weary, almost hopeless struggle of life, and yet to do it 
grandly and often without murmuring. It was the inbred 
Puritan faith in the living, righteous God which sustained 
them. The tender love and care of God the Father for all 
His children; the compassion and mercy of a present Savior, 
were not prominent objects of sweet and devout contempla- 
tion in the olden time. New England theology was not cal- 
culated to make people very happy as it was preached in 
those days of bitter controversy. But it made men brave and 
enduring, silent under most adverse circumstances. Per- 
haps the easy-going religion of the present day has taken 
some of the iron out of the blood of their children. 

Mr. Moody's father died on the 28th of May, 1841, very 
suddenly. He had gone that morning, as usual, to his work, 
that of a stone-mason, but feeling a pain in his side, caused 
by over-exertion in lifting heavy stone, he went home to rest. 
The pain grew much worse by afternoon and staggering to- 
wards the bed he fell upon his knees and was gone before any- 
one realized that he was seriously ill. A few weeks after the 
father's death, twins were born in that house of sorrow, and 
when the widowed mother rose from her bed, there were 
nine hungry mouths to feed, from the babes in her arms to 
the eldest child, but thirteen years of age. 

Some of her worldly-wise neighbors advised her to give 
away or bind out her children and not try* to keep them to- 
gether. But she loved them too dearly, and being endowed 
with unusual strength and courage of mind and body, and 
having an underlying faith in God, though He did seem so 
very far away at times, she determined to keep her flock to- 
gether if it were within the extremest limits of her endurance. 
She took up her burden bravely — a burden of unceasing 
struggle with sorrow, care and poverty. She carried her 
burden as heroically as ever martyr carried fagots for his own 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 23 

burning. She kept her face as cheery as possible for her 
children's sake, though long after, it became known that she 
cried herself to sleep every night almost for more than a 
year. 

As the children grew older the burdens and anxieties grew 
lighter, until at length the lines of ^are were smoothed out 
of her face by gentle, loving fingers, while strong, willing 
hands poured out unceasing treasures into her lap and for 
many years Grandma Moody lived to enjoy the boundless 
and sweetest care and affection bestowed upon her by her 
children and children's children. How amply was she repaid at 
last for the years of self-sacrifice and toil which had kept her 
flock safely by her side through all their tender years. 

Can we wonder now at the love and devotion to his mother 
which formed one of the most impressive features in the life 
of D. L. Moody? To the early training received in his poor 
mountain home the great evangelist attributed those ele- 
ments of personal character which crowned with success his 
efforts in spreading the gospel and in advancing the cause of 
education. 

It fell to the lot of this noble woman to be rewarded for her 
struggles with poverty and debt as few mothers have been 
blessed. She lived to see her son universally honored. The 
obscure New England village of Northfield became noted as 
his birthplace and her home. Massive seminary halls over- 
shadowed the homestead. Across the Connecticut Valley, 
on the side of Mount Herraon, college buildings were erected. 
To 800 students she was known and loved as "Grandma" 
Moody. Each summer scholars and students from all parts 
of the world have made pilgrimages to that shrine of wor- 
ship and instruction. 

Habitually when returning to Northfield from his ministry 
Mr. Moody would drive direct to the home of his mother to 
receive her welcome before joining his immediate family. 
For more than fifty years he sought counsel and approval at 



24 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

her knee. Betsy Moody was spared to her son until the closing 
days of her ninety-first year. When she began to fail Mr. 
Moody was holding meetings in a distant city. It was not 
known that her end was near and he was not notified. To- 
ward the close of the week the evangelist became restless and 
an uncontrollable desire to go home possessed him. For no 
other reason he canceled his engagement and started for 
Northfield, arriving at his mother's bedside in time to receive 
her last blessing. 

On Sunday morning, January 26, 1896, surrounded by her 
devoted children, she closed her eyes upon the earthly home 
and opened them amid the heavenly mansions which Christ 
has prepared for those who love Him. She was within 
twelve days of her ninety-first birthday. She had retained 
full use of all her faculties and her mind and memory were 
unimpaired up to the time of her departure for her eternal 
home. Her death was literally a falling asleep. There was no 
pain, no struggle. She had fought a good fight, she had fin- 
ished her course, she had kept the faith. And God gave His 
beloved sleep. 

The burial took place on the Wednesday after her death. 
The day was one of surpassing loveliness on the glorious hill- 
tops about Northfield. At nine o'clock there was a touching 
service at the old homestead conducted by Dwight L. Moody. 
All of the sons and daughters, with grandchildren and many 
relatives, were present. The service there was beautiful in 
its simplicity, and was confined to the family, relatives and 
friends. The body was then borne to the church in royal 
state. The grandsons were the bearers, while the four hun- 
dred young ladies of the Seminary and the Training School 
followed the bier as ''maids of honor" as Mr. Moody called 
them. Seats were reserved for the nearly eight hundred stu- 
dents of the two schools, and as soon as the casket had been 
placed on the altar and the face uncovered, the students slow- 
ly filed by the casket, the girls on one side winding into the 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 25 

balconies and the boys on the other largely occupying the 
floor of the church. 

It was nearly eleven o'clock before the family and friends 
came in to the church. The half hour was occupied by sing- 
ing softly, "My Jesus as Thou Wilt" and "Till He Comes," 
and silent prayer. 

As the friends entered the church, the choir of young wo- 
men and the congregation sang "Blessed Hope." 

This was followed by the doxology and the invocation by 
Rev. Dr. Scofield. The choir then sang "Resurrection 
Morn." Miss Maud Phillips and Mrs. W. R. Moody, the lat- 
ter the daughter of Major Whittle, the evangelist, then ren- 
dered in a charming way, "Thou Remainest." 

Dr. Scofield read the scripture lesson, and the choir and 
congregation sang "Some Sweet Day." 

Dr. Scofield followed with an impressive address, speaking 
from the words, "O death, where is thy sting; O grave, where 
is thy victory?" 

Mrs. W. R. Moody sang very tenderly "Crossing the Bar," 
and then, in the midst of a profound silence, Mr. Moody rose 
from his seat in the body of the church, and walked to the 
altar, and standing during a large portion of his address di- 
rectly at the foot of his mother's coffin, he paid a touching 
tribute to her memory. If not without precedent, Mr. 
Moody's action was certainly the first time in recent years 
that a son, conspicuous before the public, had manifested that 
abiding faith which enabled him to speak upon such an oc- 
casion. With tears coursing down his cheeks he told of his 
love for her and of his faith in God. He recalled many inci- 
dents of his childhood and a thousand people were moved 
alternately to tears and smiles by the recital. In praise of his 
mother Mr. Moody said: 

"I know it is not customary for a son to speak at his moth- 
er's funeral. If it is possible for me to control my feelings I 
want to pay her memory a merited tribute. It was great 



26 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

honor for us to have such a mother. I cannot praise her 
enough. She was a wise woman. She knew more than Sol- 
omon. She knew how to govern her own sons. She was 
a noble mother to all of her nine children. She displayed 
wonderfully good judgment and an almost marvelous tact. 
She was so loving a mother that when we were away from 
home we were always anxious to get back. This was true all 
through life." 

Mr. Moody's words used on this occasion are best descrip- 
tive of some of the experiences of his early life. "My father 
died utterly bankrupt," said he. "The creditors took every- 
thing. I can vividly recall this fact, because my mother told 
us we must stay in bed until school time, for there was no 
wood in or near the house and no way of creating warmth. I 
remember just as vividly when I heard sounds of chips flying 
and I knew, some one was chopping wood in our woodshed 
and that then we should have warmth. 

"I shall never forget Uncle Silas coming with what seemed 
to me the biggest pile of wood I ever saw in my life. Many 
other acts of kindness were shown us by one of the ministers 
of the Unitarian church of this village. I recall when I first 
earned any money. It was one cent a week for tending cows. 
It went into the common treasury. Every penny was needed 
and' was put to the best purpose." 

Reverting to memories of his mother the evangelist said: 
"Her love for her husband lasted all through life. For fifty- 
four years, to my certain knowledge, Widow Moody's light 
burned on yonder hill. There was one room in that old 
house which I think she loved best. It was the room where 
she found God. It was there He answered her prayers. How 
she worked! In the attic is the old wheel she used for us. 
And still with all her poverty she never turned the poor away 
from her door. 

"Within the past forty-eight hours I have heard some things 
about her that have almost broken my heart. It was that 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 27 

when she was in the midst of her severest struggles with pov- 
erty that she bravely put on her happiest look and ways dur- 
ing the day time, and often wet her pillow with tears during 
the night. 

''That she thus cried, was new to me. That she prayed, I 
knew well." 

Mr. Moody then drew a pathetic picture of the love the 
mother felt for each of her children. He named them each, 
and told of the particular way in which she showed her love. 
Of her love for himself he said: "I never found out what 
mother did think of me. Her words were the sweetest I 
heard when returning here after long journeys abroad. I 
have in my hands the old family Bible, so thoroughly used 
by her. I suppose that when my father died that was the 
only book we had in our house." 

Turning to proverbs, Mr. Moody then read a number of 
sentences showing how admirably they fitted the character of 
his mother and making comments as he read them. 

Turning to the face of his mother, Mr. Moody said: "We do 
not know whether the departed can know what is going on 
in this earth. If I thought she could hear me I would send 
her the message that not only her children, but her grand- 
children and their children would meet her in heaven. 

"I want to say to the young ladies of the Seminary who 
acted as maids of honor to escort my mother's body down 
here this morning, that I want you to trust my mother's 
Savior. I want to say to the young men of Mount Hermon, 
you are going to have a great honor to escort mother to her 
last resting place. Her prayers for you ascended daily to 
the throne of grace. Now I am going to give you the best I 
have, I am going to do the best I can. I am going to lay her 
away with her face toward Hermon. I give you the noblest 
heritage I possess on earth. 

"I think she was one of the noblest characters this world 
has ever seen. She was true as sunlight. I never knew that 



28 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

woman to deceive me. And now we are to lay her body away 
to await His coming in resurrection power. That dear 
mother, when I see her again, is going to have a resurrection 
body (looking at her face), God bless you, Mother: we love 
you still. Death has only increased our love. Good-bye for 
a little while, mother." 

Mr. Moody then offered a touching prayer and the services 
at the church were soon closed. What an eloquent and glow- 
ing tribute of love to lay at his mother's feet! This the most 
abiding honor to her memory — "Her children shall rise up 
and call her blessed." 

Let us now turn with reverent spirit to read^the brief story 
of the toils and trials, of the self-sacrifice and devotion by 
which she wrought out for herself such a heritage of filial 
affection and impressed the force of her character so inefface- 
ably upon the minds and hearts and lives of her children. 

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Moody had to face 
a great responsibility, and faced it in a grand and heroic way. 
She was a woman of extraordinary force of character. In 
her girlhood days she had been a very great favorite every- 
where, full of fun, just running over with good humor, bright 
and intelligent; and withal a most sensible girl, economical 
and industrious, with a most cheery disposition, willing also 
to help everybody and without any feeling that she was doing 
anything that required special commendation. 

At the age of twenty-three, Betsy Holton made what 
would be called in those days a good marriage, to a thrifty, 
well-to-do mechanic, Edwin Moody, who by farming a few 
acres of land and working at his trade contrived to earn a 
comfortable living. Their home was a spacious farm-house, 
a two-storied, double-front, with an attic, standing by the 
roadside under the shadow of some beautiful elms. 

Here were spent thirteen years of happy life, until heavy 
losses from an unfortunate business affair impoverished 
them and a mortgage of $400 encumbered their home; when 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 29 

suddenly the death of her husband threw all the burden of 
care, labor and anxiety upon the "Widow Moody." 

Those were days of sharp sectarian controversy in religious 
circles. The doctrines were of the hardest and most gloomy 
ever believed or taught in orthodox churches. To believe 
that God had foreordained for his own good pleasure the 
destruction of a large portion of the human race, and that 
without respect of character, might have been a great com- 
fort to the saints, assuring them of a small and select company 
in the great hereafter; but to the burdened widow it was the 
gall of bitterness. She was determined to do all she could 
to save her children in this life and she insisted on believing 
in a God who would do the same for them in the life to come. 
But there was another invention in some of New England 
Calvinism, which taught the duty of being willing to be 
damned for the glory of God, if God in his secret decree had 
so determined. Some of Mrs. Moody's neighbors did not 
fail to exhort her to the attainment of this rather mournful 
state of mind, but against this her soul did most decidedly 
rebel. If there were any such decrees which shut out any of 
her little flock from a fair chance of heaven, she at least would 
not be tormented by them in prayers and sermons; and hence 
she placed herself and her family under the instructions of 
Pastor Everett, who was for giving all sinners the best possi- 
ble chances for salvation, and they were all baptized together 
and received into the Unitarian Church of Northfield, after 
the fashion of those days. And so the widow sought to hold 
fast to the hand of the Lord, and brought up her children to 
read the Bible and to believe in the grace of God whereby she 
hoped they would be brought into His kingdom. 

To put the whole story in a nutshell, it would read a little 
like this: Mrs. Moody's brothers in Boston took care of the 
interest on the mortgage; the older boys took care of the 
little farm; the mother took care of the house and the chil- 
dren, and the good Lord took care of them all. 



30 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Mrs. Moody bore with a brave heart the weight of a house- 
hold that would have crushed most women, and cared for her 
children as best she could. Instead of breaking up the 
family as so many of her prudent friends suggested, she kept 
them all, as they were able, busily at work in the garden 
picking berries and fruit, and doing chores for the farmers 
around. And every penny which could be earned was brought 
eagerly home and laid in mother's lap. 

These years of toil and privation had drawn her heart very 
close to the Savior, and when the care of her large family of 
little children grew so heavy as almost to overwhelm her, 
she learned to cast her burden upon the Lord. Her example 
and instructions very early made deep and indelible impres- 
sions upon the minds of her children. For once when her 
son, Dwight, was only a little six-year-old and was driving the 
cows to pasture, an old fence fell over on him and pinned him 
to the ground so that he could not get away. But we will let 
the story of his rescue tell itself in his own words many years 
later: 

"I tried and tried, and I couldn't lift them awful rails; then 
I hollered for help, but nobody came; and then I began to 
think I should have to die away up there on the mountain all 
alone. But I happened to think that maybe God would help 
me, and so I asked him. And after that I could lift the rails, 
just as easy." 

Sometimes when the boys were quarrelsome and rebellious, 
and the household was in utter confusion, Mrs. Moody 
would go away to her own room and pray for wisdom and 
patience. "And when I would come back," she has said, 
"they would all be good children again." But there were 
times when correction was needful; then, while never harsh, 
she did not spare the rod; though often her own tears at be- 
ing compelled to use it were the hardest part of the punish- 
ment for the child. Mr. Moody once told of the "old-fash- 
ioned whippings" he received at his mother's hands. "I be- 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 31 

lieve in them to-day" he said. "She would send me out for 
a stick. I thought I could fool her and would get a dead 
stick. She would snap the stick and then cause me to get 
another. She was never in a hurry, and she certainly was 
not when she was whipping me. Once I told her that the 
whipping did not hurt at all. I never had occasion to tell her 
so again, for she put it on so it did hurt." 

While thus faithfully, even if painfully, she sought to train 
her children; while patiently, lovingly and prayerfully she 
sought to fulfill a mother's part, Airs. Moody did not under- 
estimate the value and importance of public Sabbath worship. 
In those early days her children were regular, if not particu- 
larly devout, attendants at church. The older boys who 
might be at work on neighboring farms would as they were 
permitted, come home on Saturday night so as to go to 
church with their little brothers and sisters. Mr. Moody has 
declared that going to church was not a debatable question. 
''Frequently I have gone to church barefooted, carrying my 
shoes in my hand, to save the wear until I got nearly to the 
church door, when I would put them on." They used to 
take their dinners and stay all day, hearing the two sermons 
and attending the Sunday school, which was sandwiched be- 
tween them; and then they would come home again for sup- 
per before going back to their places of work. 

Such church going was not so wearisome in those early 
days as it might seem to us. I myself have preached in rural 
parishes in Scotland where similar customs still prevail. 
From over the hills in all directions the shepherds and their 
families would come to mingle with the townspeople in the 
Sabbath worship. In summer-time many of the lads and las- 
sies would stop to wash their feet in the "burn" that ran near- 
by and then put on their shoes and hose to come into church. 

While eating their cheese and oatcake with delicious water 
from the spring, after morning sermon what pleasure did 
they have in greeting their friends, to hear of how the old 



32 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

folks were who were left sitting- at the door of some low, stone 
cottage, with its straw-thatched roof. And the letters from 
over the seas, from Australia, Africa; Canada or the United 
States — they were to be read over again. And the young 
folks? They were enjoying such meetings as young people 
do and will until the end of time. Sunday school and second 
service done, they would turn their steps homeward in com- 
panies that broke up into smaller and smaller groups until 
they all had reached their scattered cottages and still more 
lonely sheep-walks miles away. 

These Sabbaths were the happiest days of the week in that 
modest home of Northfield. Thus the family were kept in 
closest touch with each other, and the dear mother. In 
spite of their poverty and trials there was love and joy in this 
beautiful home life. Toiling day and night for daily bread 
and often scraping the bottom of her flour barrel with worn 
fingers, not always knowing where the next barley cake 
would come from, this mother kept up a brave heart and 
cheerful face for her children's sake and Sunday found the 
best things the garden and pantry could supply for the rave- 
nous appetites of nine hale, hearty, growing children. At the 
table, which was set and waiting their return, Mrs. Moody 
would repeat a text of scripture or a verse of a hymn and the 
children would say it in chorus after her. 

Supper over, if it were summer-time, she would gather 
them all around her on the porch or under one of the great 
sugar maple trees in the front yard — Mr. Moody's favorite 
seat in later years — and read to them out of the books they 
may have brought home. For other books there were none 
in the house, not even a Pilgrim's Progress. And such won- 
derful stories, too. Those books seemed to know just what 
naughty things Dwight or George or Lizzie had been doing 
during the week, or something very much like them, and con- 
taining such good advice to each one, just like mother, only 
the funny thing was that the children could never find the 



o 
o 
a- 



r 

or 




BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 33 

place afterwards. Then, just as the sun was going down, 
loving good-byes were said, and the older boys were away to 
their work again and the little ones were folded to sleep. 

Although Dwight was only four years old when his father 
died, he was deeply impressed by the shadow of death that 
fell on the home. He has recalled in one of his sermons his 
childish horror, saying, "The first thing I remember was the 
death of my father. It was a beautiful day in June when sud- 
denly he fell dead. The shock made such an impression on 
me, young as I was, that I shall never forget it. I remember 
nothing about the funeral, but his death has made a lasting 
impression upon me." For long years after that, death was 
a terrible enemy to him. 

The custom long remained in that New England village to 
toll out the bell when any one died, to toll one stroke for each 
year of the age of the deceased. Sometimes it would toll 
forty strokes for a man of forty, or seventy for some grand- 
mother in the village. When the bell would thus toll sixty, 
seventy or eighty, then he would think, "That is a great ways 
off." But sometimes it would be for a child at his age and 
then it would be very solemn, almost terrifying, and for some- 
time after that he would be afraid to sleep in a room alone. 

Another of his experiences relates to an excursion taken 
some miles from home, with an elder brother. It was his 
first visit away from home. It seemed to him to be the long- 
est visit of his life. He was so far away he began to fear that 
he would never get back again. 

"While we were walking down the street we saw an old 
man coming toward us, and my brother said, 'There is a man 
that will give you a cent. He gives every new boy that comes 
into this town a cent/ That was my first visit to the town, 
and when the old man got opposite to us he looked around, 
and my brother not wishing me to lose the cent, and to re- 
mind the old man that I had not received it, told him that I 
was a new boy in the town, The old man, taking off my hat, 
3 



34 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

placed his trembling hand on my head and told me that I had 
a Father in Heaven. It was a kind, simple act, but I feel the 
impression of the old man's hand upon my head to-day.' 
THE PRODIGAL SON. 

Another shadow fell upon that home on the mountain side. 
A sorrow more bitter than death itself. The saddest memo- 
ries of the days of his childhood relate to the running away 
of his elder brother. With a youth's ambition to make his 
fortune in the world, perhaps tired of being the eldest brother 
of so large a family, thinking it was time to be doing for him- 
self, unmindful of the heart he would so nearly break, a cow- 
ard and lacking in the spirit of self sacrifice which crowned 
that mother's head with the blessings of her children for so 
many years, that eldest son suddenly disappeared. 

In vain, through many years, they waited for tidings of the 
lost boy. It seemed sometimes as if the mother's heart 
would utterly break for him. A living grief is as a poisoned 
arrow in the heart. Sometimes she said it would have eased 
her heart to know that he was dead. "It would be better than 
this. I don't know but he is lying sick in some foreign land, 
with nobody to watch over him. Maybe he has fallen in with 
wicked men who will make him like themselves." 

Often would they sit in a semi-circle about the fire of a 
stormy winter's night and listen to the howling of the gale, 
and come closer to the mother, and listen to the stories of 
their dead father; what he did, what he said, how he loved 
them; then of his kindness to a friend and how he lost a good 
deal of money by him, and so their little home was mortgaged 
and they were poor. But if by chance any one spoke the name 
of the absent brother, a great silence fell upon them; the tears 
would come into the eyes of the mother, and then they would 
steal away to bed, whispering their "good-nights" and walking 
softly as they went, for that name was like a sword thrust 
in the mother's heart. For a long time they would lie awake 
listening to the roar of the wind among the mountains, think- 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 35 

ing that maybe he was out in the cold somewhere, or worse 
than that, perhaps he had gone to sea and while they were 
snug in bed he might be keeping watch on deck or climbing 
a reeling mast in just such darkness and storm. During a 
little lull in the storm they would hear the mother's voice — 
she was sitting up to pray for her lost boy. Perhaps, next 
morning, she would send them down to the village, more than 
a mile away, to ask for a letter; a letter from him, though she 
never said so. But no letter ever came. "Many and many 
a time have I gone to the window in the hope that I should 
see him coming up the garden walk to cheer our mother's 
heart, but all was in vain — he didn't come. I do believe she 
would have gone all round the world to find him. When 
Thanksgiving Day would come she would always put a chair 
for him — but the chair was always empty. The friends and 
neighbors gave him up, but she did not. She held fast to the 
hope that she would see him come back before she died. Oh, 
how she loved that boy! And so time rolled on. The step 
that was once so firm became feeble; the hair that once was 
black as night became silvery gray. One summer afternoon, 
as she sat 'in her cottage, her twin children with her (for the 
rest of us had gone out into the world to fight the battle of 
life), a tall, swarthy man, with heavy black beard, was seen 
coming in the gate. He came up under the porch, and, the 
door being open, he stopped and looked in, with an eager, 
anxious face, as if he were afraid he might not find the one 
he was seeking, though he had stopped at the church-yard on 
his way through the village to see whether there were two 
graves, instead of one, where his father had been laid so many 
years before. Surely his mother was not dead, but was she 
still at the old home? 

Mother came to the door to bid the stranger come in. 
The eyes that had watched so long for his coming did not 
know him now. But the stranger did not speak nor move. 
As he stood in the presence of the mother whose heart he 



36 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

had broken, great tears began to roll down his cheeks. But 
when she saw the big tears starting from his eyes she sprang 
to him, 'It is my boy, my dear, dear boy.' But there the boy 
stood, and said: 'Mother I will never cross the threshold until 
you say you forgive me.' 

"Do you think he had to stay there long? No, no, her 
arms were around his neck and she was weeping upon his 
shoulder. She forgave him because he asked it and because 
she loved him. The dead was alive, the lost was found. The 
tears were wiped away from that mother's eyes and happiness 
was in her heart. And that is just the way God forgives all 
the prodigal sons who come back to him. What joy on 
earth can equal the joy of heaven when the prodigal comes 
home? This night your Father wants you, dear son, come 
to Him. Confess your sin and He will have mercy upon you 
and forgive you. May heaven's blessing rest upon every soul 
here, is my prayer. Let us pray." 

Whoever that has heard Mr. Moody preach this famous 
sermon on the prodigal son can possibly forget the power 
and pathos of this final appeal? Audiences were melted to 
tears, and scores, sometimes hundreds, would respond to his 
earnest entreaties for them to return to the Father's house, as 
he pictured the desolation in that home on the hillside, the 
mother's anxious waiting, her days of watching, and her 
nights of prayer. 

Under these heavier shadows life in that cottage at North- 
field moved on as in many another home of widowhood. But 
Pastor Everett was true to his promises and often looked in 
upon them, cheering their hearts with pleasant words; en- 
couraging the mother to keep on praying — the rewards for 
all her labors of love would not fail. He would sometimes 
help to settle quarrels among the boys, occasionally give the 
little fellows a bright piece of silver all around to make his 
earnest advice the more palatable. As Dwight grew up he 
became the special cause of great anxiety to his mother, and 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 37 

for awhile the minister took him into his family to do the 
chores and go to school. But the boy needed severer re- 
straint than even he could exercise. Often his patience was 
sorely tried and he was at his wits' end what to do with the 
boy, being often obliged to laugh at his pranks even when he 
felt it his duty to be the most stern. The task was beyond 
his wisdom and authority, and he was glad to send him back 
to his mother. And yet the- boy was not a mean boy, nor 
vicious, but only full of life and mischief, too lazy to work, too 
idle to study. He was a stout, hearty, self-reliant, wilful boy 
— a great favorite with his playmates and a leader in all their 
pastimes and frolics. He went to school because his mother 
insisted on it, not because he liked it. So miserably did he 
waste his time that at sixteen he had not-even creditably mas- 
tered the three R's — "readin', ritin' and rithmetic." 

He was not a bad boy, but he was like a splendid wild horse 
of the plains that has never felt the lasso, the leader of the 
herd. He never lost his love for the mountains and the open 
air He always entered heartily into the recreations, songs, 
stories and jokes of the young men gathered about him. Like 
all really great men he kept the dew of his youth upon him. 
As Drummond once said of him, "You will find a deal of the 
boy in Moody." He would sometimes kick the traces in 
later life, and give hundreds of boys and girls a chance to 
play truant as he used to do, as the following incident will 
show: 

OUT OF SCHOOL FOR A FROLIC. 

One of Mr. Moody's first thoughts upon returning from his 
labors throughout the country was for the schools at North- 
field. He found a reward for his efforts in the welcome 
accorded him by the students. In the old days he was often 
seen driving through the grounds at Mt. Hermon, four miles 
distant from his home, before six o'clock in the morning. 
Bad weather never kept him indoors. Frequently he ap- 
peared at chapel exercises at Mount Hermon or at the semi- 



38 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

nary with his big rubber boots split down the back because 
of the unusual size of his legs. 

Many times the visits of the founder of the schools upset 
the routine of study, for he outvoted the joint faculties of 
both institutions whenever it suited him. Such was the case 
one frosty October morning when he proposed a nutting ex- 
cursion to the boys. Classes were dismissed, and before 
the faculty had fully taken in the situation, Mr. Moody was 
driving toward the seminary up the valley at the top of his 
horse's speed. There also he put an end to study, and by ten 
o'clock 700 students were climbing the mountain. Every 
available vehicle was pressed into service for carrying provis- 
ion for the outing party, and at night came back laden with 
nuts. Shouts and laughter rang through the woods until 
evening, when the young people returned singing a hundred 
songs dear to Northfield by their association. 

Dwight L. Moody's last term of school was in the winter of 
his seventeenth year — it was to be his last at home. He was 
now the ringleader of the boys in all their devices to annoy 
the teacher, who, in despair of doing anything with him, 
now threatened to turn the boy from school. This was a 
great grief to his mother. She told him how much ashamed 
she should be to have one of her boys turned out of school, 
directed him to go to the teacher and ask forgiveness for his 
bad conduct and try to be some little credit to his mother. 
There were few things he would not do for his mother. And 
now at her urgent entreaty he would try even to do a little 
studying. So he returned to the school to beg his teacher's 
pardon and to settle down for the first time in his life to apply 
himself faithfully to his books. But it was too late for him 
to become even a moderate scholar in the simpler branches 
of a village education. 

The time had come when he must ''make a break." The 
place was too strait for him. He must go out to face the 
world and make the best of it. At the age of seventeen this 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE. 39 

country lad, with no other piety in him apparently than the 
love of his mother, and a determination to be an honest and 
successful man, rude in manners and speech, shabby in dress, 
with his mother's blessing upon him as a benediction, with 
few dollars in his pocket, but with muscles like steel and the 
courage of a young lion, Dwight L. Moody set out from 
Northfield to seek his fortune in Boston. 




Goes Out Into the World. 

PfK^^ THE age of seventeen young Moody, with a very 
^^k small stock in trade arrived in Boston, ambitious 
V4D) wf of a business career. He had lots of energy, but 
^^ ■ it sadly needed educating, directing, controlling. 
There was evidently "something in him" but that 
"something" seemed to be anything else rather than a preach- 
er of the gospel. During the visit of his Uncle Samuel Hol- 
ton to Northfield in the winter, Dwight had asked him for a 
place in his boot and shoe store in Boston; but learning what 
a wild young colt he was, the request had been refused. It 
seemed almost certain that going into the city would be the 
ruin of such a wilful and wayward boy. But he felt perfectly 
well able to take care of himself. He could fight his own way 
in the world; so that at last the mother had given her reluc- 
tant consent and her blessing with it, and Dwight L. Moody 
found himself in Boston. He was made welcome at the 
home of his mother's younger brother, Lemuel, and began 
beating about the city for a situation. He surprised his 
Uncle Samuel by an early call on him at his store, but only 
to let him know that he was in town. He wouldn't ask for a 
situation, not he! He would show his uncle he could get on 
very well alone. 

But the rude, awkward, country lad, without recommenda- 
tions, dressed in an ill-fitting, not to say shabby, suit of 
clothes, found no door opening up to him. At the end of a 
week he was disgusted, mad; but not discouraged. He tried 
as earnestly at Lowell; found nothing. He was tempted to 
start afoot to New York — his money was all gone — and he 
had nothing to sell. 

"Have you asked your Uncle Samuel to help you to a situa- 
tion?" inquired Mr. Lemuel Holton one evening. 



GOES OUT INTO THE WORLD. 41 

"No," said Dwight, "he knows I am looking for a place 
and he may help me or not just as he pleases." 

But the proud, headstrong boy was beginning to tremble. 
Nobody in Boston cared for him anymore than for a log on 
the river floating to and fro with the tide and current. Tak- 
ing wise advantage of his weakness, his uncle gave him some 
good advice. Modesty would win its way to favor far quick- 
er than rude self assertion. Courtesy, a word he scarcely 
knew the meaning of, certainly not by experience, was more 
needful than courage. It would be better for him now to 
call on his Uncle Samuel, show himself willing to be governed 
by one older and wiser than himself, and content to begin 
to yield his obstinate will. The colt was bitted at last. 

His Uncle Samuel received him kindly, promised him a 
place in the store on three simple conditions: He was to 
choose the boarding place for him, the boy was not to be out 
on the streets at night, he was to attend regularly the Mount 
Vernon Congregational Church and Sunday school. To 
these Dwight agreed, and then there was another very com- 
prehensive condition added, Dwight was to be governed by 
the judgment of his uncle in all matters generally; in other 
words he must begin to recognize, what was exceedingly irk- 
some to him, the duty of rendering obedience to his super- 
iors. 

HIS FIRST START IN BUSINESS. 

At last he had a footing in the world of trade. His salary 
to be sure was very small. He must begin at the bottom, but 
he might soon learn to climb. A home was found for him 
in a humble Christian family living in modest style; but with- 
al, most sensible people. 

His pride and his poverty remained fast company for many 
a day, and at times he was quite miserable among the well- 
bred, well-dressed people he met. But he held fast to his pur- 
pose that he would succeed in conquering a place for himself 
in business. He was quick, and shrewd, in business, a sharp 



42 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

observer of human nature; ashamed to confess his ignor- 
ance and often guessing at prices and qualities. Yet within 
three months' time he was selling more boots and shoes than 
any other man in the store. It is said that he went about his 
duties in the store in much the same vigorous way in which 
he would have swung a scythe in a field of tangled clover, or 
have broken a yoke of wild steers. He seemed to think he 
must be all the time fighting his way in the world. And long 
after he became famous as a preacher it was said that he 
seemed to enjoy the service of the Lord all the more, because 
it gave him at the same time such a good chance to fight the 
devil. 

As the books to which he had access during his restless 
years in Northfield were few, he had had the more time to 
think. The original force of his mind had not been smoth- 
ered under a mass of ill-adjusted reading. He had done his 
own thinking and a good deal of it. 

An incident had occurred in his early manhood which had 
made a very deep impression on his mind. The truth long 
remained in his heart, waiting to be quickened into life by the 
power of the Spirit of God. The incident is found thus vividly 
narrated in one of those sketches from life by which he sought 
to arouse and warn the careless and indifferent: 

"Before I left the farm," he said, "I was talking one day to 
a man who was working there, and who was weeping. I said 
to him : 'What is the trouble?' And he told me a very strange 
story — strange to me then, for I was not at that time a Chris- 
tian. He said that his mother was a Christian when he left 
home to seek his fortune. When he was about starting, his 
mother took him by the hand and spoke these parting words: 
'My son, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteous- 
ness, and all these things shall be added unto you.' This,' 
said he, 'was my mother's favorite text.' When he got into 
the town to which he was going, he had to spend the Sabbath 
there. He went to a little church, and the minister preached 



GOES OUT INTO THE WORLD. 43 

from the text, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God;' and he 
thought the text and sermon were meant for him. He want- 
ed to get rich; and when he was settled in life he would seek 
the kingdom of God. He went on, and the next Sabbath he 
was in another village. It was not long before he heard an- 
other minister preach from the same text, "Seek ye first the 
kingdom of God.' He thought some one must have been 
speaking to the minister about him; for the minister just pic- 
tured him out. But he said, when he got settled in life, and 
had control of his time, and was his own master, he would 
then seek the kingdom of God. 

Some time after he was at another village, and here went 
to church again; and he had not been going a great while 
when he heard the third minister preach from the same text, 
'Seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all 
these things shall be added unto you.' He said it went right 
down into his soul; but he calmly and deliberately made up his 
mind that he would not become a Christian until he had got 
settled in life, and owned his farm. This man said, 'Now 1 
am what the world calls rich. I go to church every Sunday; 
but I have never heard a sermon, from that day to this, which 
has ever made any impression on my heart. My heart is as 
hard as stone.' As he said that, tears trickled down his 
cheeks. I was a young man, and did not know what it meant. 
When I became converted I thought I would see this man 
when I should go back home, and preach Christ to him. When 
I went back home I said to my widowed mother, naming the 
man, 'Is he still living in the same place?' My mother said, 
'He is gone mad, and has been taken away to the insane 
asylum; and to every one that goes to see him he points his 
finger and says, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God?' I 
thought I should like to see him; but he was so far gone it 
would do no good. The next time I went home he was at 
his home, idiotic. I went to see him. When I went in, I 
said, 'Do you know me?' He pointed his finger at me and 



44 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

said, 'Young man, seek ye first the kingdom of God/ God 
had driven that text into his mind but his reason was gone. 
Some years ago, when I visited my father's grave, I noticed 
a new stone had been put up. I stopped, and found it was 
my friend's. That autumn wind seemed whispering that 
text, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God.' " 

And now we find this energetic and tireless youth settling 
into the routine of business in Boston and a regular atten- 
dant at the Mount Vernon Church, whose pastor was one of 
the most eloquent and evangelical ministers this country has 
produced. He was a prince among preachers. He was a mag- 
nificent man — physically, mentally and spiritually — just the 
sort of a man to captivate young Moody; and he, having 
found a man whom he believed to be wiser and stronger than 
himself, sat reverently at his feet and learned of him. 
MOODY IN SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

At this critical period of his youth Dwight L. Moody was 
fortunate to have been placed in the class of Mr. Edward 
Kimball, a very earnest and faithful teacher, and one inter- 
ested in the personal salvation of the scholars in his class. 
With Mr. Kimball we have frequently conversed and heard 
over and over again the incidents concerning the early reli- 
gious life of Dwight L. Moody. A more unpromising lad he 
had never had in his class. He was rude, uncouth, untaught. 
On his appearance in the class when he was given a Bible he 
began looking for one of the epistles in Genesis, to the great 
amusement of the other scholars. Mr. Kimball sought to 
cover his confusion by exchanging Bibles with him, and 
Moody kept his thumb in the place for fear of losing it. For 
a time it was with great weariness and impatience that he 
attended the school, and Mr. Kimball felt as if he were not 
getting hold of the boy — was even failing to interest him. 
But one Sunday, when the lesson was about Moses, he had 
listened with something of eagerness and at length broke out 
with the first remark he had ventured to make, that "Moses 



GOES OUT INTO THE WORLD. 45 

was what you would call a pretty smart sort of a man, wasn't 
he?" Glad to hear a word from him at last, even if it did 
savor a little of country smartness, Mr. Kimball enlarged on 
the question, greatly to Moody's satisfaction. He began to 
warm up to his teacher, but held an increasing dislike for the 
men and women who were so rich, and proper, and pious that 
they seemed to live in a different world from his. And against 
the young men who wore good clothes and spent a good deal 
of money, while he had scarcely two dimes to rub against 
one another, he became very bitter. Therefore he felt him- 
self the victim of ill-fortune and revenged himself savagely in 
denouncing their pride and did not recognize the fact that in 
his bitter speech he was the proudest of them all. 

This new interest on the part of the lad induced his earnest 
teacher to visit him at the store. It was a new experience to 
have anyone take so much interest in him, so that when Mr. 
Kimball laid his hand upon his shoulder and spoke kindly to 
him, it softened his nature a little. When the direct question 
was tenderly asked a little later, "Will you not give your heart 
to Jesus?" the inquiry pierced to the marrow of his soul. 

THAT WAS THE TURNING POINT 
in Dwight L. Moody's life. He sought the Lord Jesus Christ 
with his whole heart, resolved henceforth to consecrate him- 
self to the service of his God. He had found one whom he 
could call Lord and Master. Life was a new revelation to 
him. "The morning I was converted," he has said, "I went 
out-doors and I fell in love with the bright sun shining over 
the earth. I never loved the sun before. And when I heard 
the birds singing their sweet songs, I fell in love with the 
birds. Like the Scotch lassie who stood on the hills of her 
native land breathing the sweet air, and when asked why she 
did it, said, T love the Scotch air.' If the church were filled 
with love it could do so much more." 

In another bit of biography given as an experience to his 
English hearers Mr. Moody referred to the momentous point 



46 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

of his conversion, and told the story of how he was permitted 
many years afterward to lead to the Savior a son of his teach- 
er. ''When I was in Boston," said he, "I used to attend a 
Sunday school class, and one day I recollect a Sabbath school 
teacher came round behind the counter of the shop I used to 
work in, and put his hand on my shoulder, and talked to me 
about Christ and my soul. I had not felt I had a soul till then. 
I said: This is a very strange thing. Here is a man who 
never saw me until within a few days, and he is weeping over 
my sins, and I never shed a tear about them.' But I under- 
stand it now, and know what it is to have a passion for men's 
souls and weep over their sins. I don't remember what he 
said but I can feel the power of that young man's hand on 
my shoulder to-night. Young Christian men, go and lay 
your hand on your comrade's shoulder, and point him to Jesus 
to-night. Well, he got me up to the school, and it was not 
long before I was brought into the kingdom of God. I went 
thousands of miles away after that, but I often thought I 
should like to see that man again. Time rolled on, and at 
length I was at Boston again; and I recollect, one night when 
I was preaching there, a fine, noble young man came up the 
aisle and said: 'I should like to speak with you, Mr. Moody. 
I have often heard my father talk about you.' 'Who is your 
father?' I asked. 'Edward Kimball,' was the reply. 'What?' 
said I, 'my old Sunday school teacher?' I asked him his 
name, and he said it was Henry, and that he was seventeen 
years of age. I tried to put my hand on his shoulder just 
where his father did on my shoulder, and I said to him: 'You 
are just as old as I was when your father put his hand on my 
shoulder. Are you a Christian, Henry?' 'No, sir,' he said; 
and as I talked to him about his soul, with my hand on his 
shoulder, the tears began to trickle down. 'Come,' said I, 
'I will show you how you can be saved' and I took him into 
a pew and quoted promise after promise to him. And I went 
on praying with him, but as he did not get light, I read to him 



GOES OUT INTO THE WORLD. 47 

the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah: "All we, like sheep, have 
gone astray." Do you believe that, Henry?' 'Yes, sir, I 
know that's true.' ' "We have turned every one to his own 
way." Is that true?' 'Yes, sir, that's true, and that's what 
troubles me; I like my own way.' 'But there is another sen- 
tence yet, Henry: "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of 
us all?" Do you believe that Henry?' 'No, I do not, sir/ 
'Now,' I said, 'why should you take a verse of God's word 
and cut it in two, and believe one part and not another? Here 
are two things against you and you believe them ; and here is 
one thing in your favor, but you won't believe that. What 
authority have you for serving God's word in that way?' 
'Well,' he said, 'Mr. Moody, if I believed that I should be 
saved.' 'I know you would' I replied, and that's exactly 
what I want you to do. But you take the bitter, and won't 
have the sweet with it.' So I held him to that little word 
hath — 'He hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all/ " 

Mr. Moody received his promise that he would give his 
heart to Christ, and soon after heard from the father that his 
son had found peace in believing. 

As a young Christian his zeal was strong, but his impulses 
were as ill-trained and ill-directed as ever. His mind was 
untutored in the scriptures, his command of language very 
limited, his use of it was wretched. Mr. Kimball has stated, 
"I can truly say, and in saying it I magnify the infinite grace 
of God as bestowed upon him, that I have seen few persons 
whose minds were spiritually darker than was his when he 
came into my Sunday school class, and I think that the com- 
mittee of the Mount Vernon Church seldom met an applicant 
for membership more unlikely to become a Christian of clear 
and decided views of gospel truth, still less to fill any extended 
sphere of public usefulness." Mr. Kimball was also a mem- 
ber of the examining committee before which Mr. Moody 
appeared, but even with the teacher whom he loved to aid 
him, he could not state what Christ had done for him. The 



48 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

chief question put to bim was this: "Mr. Moody, what has 
Christ done for us all — for you — which entitles Him to our 
love?" The answer, the longest one he gave in his examina- 
tion, was this: "I do not know. I think Christ has done a 
good deal for us, but I do not think of anything particular as 
I know of." 

Under these circumstances the committee declined to 
recommend him for admission but appointed two of their 
number to watch over him with kindness and teach him the 
way of God more perfectly. Six months later, May 4th, 1856, 
he was welcomed into the church fellowship. 

Sometime after this, Mr. Moody expressed his gratitude to 
one of the officers of the church for the. course pursued, and 
said his conviction was that its influence was favorable to his 
growth in grace. 

The Rev. Dr. Kirk was in Chicago a few years later attend- 
ing a meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for 
Foreign Missions and was entertained by, and preached for, 
his former parishioner. On his return he called upon Mr. 
Holton, and said, "I told our people last night that we ought 
to be ashamed of ourselves. There is that young Moody, 
who we thought did not know enough to be in our church 
and Sunday school, exerting a greater influence for Christ 
than any other man in the great north-west." 

Mr. Moody never seemed to forget anything, and an inci- 
dent is related in which he took a good-natured revenge upon 
one of those deacons of the Mount Vernon Church. 

It was at one of his great meetings in Exeter Hall, London, 
where he espied his old friend way back under the gallery. 
He had dropped in out of curiosity to see what the man could 
do, taking a seat where he felt sure that Moody would not see 
him. But he spied him out just before closing and called out: 

"I see in the house an eminent Christian gentleman from 
Boston. Deacon Palmer, come right forward to the plat- 
form; the people want to hear from you," 



GOES OUT INTO THE WORLD. 49 

In vain Deacon Palmer shook his head. Moody insisted 
and he was compelled to face the audience. He began by 
saying that he had known Mr. Moody, in fact, was a member 
of the same church in early life, and was very glad of his great 
success in the Lord's service; when Mr. Moody suddenly 
broke out: "Yes, Deacon, and you kept me out of that church 
for six months, because you thought I did not know 
enough to join it." 

The effect of such a remark can be imagined but not de- 
scribed. Roars of laughter filled the hall, but the deacon was 
too shrewd to be easily silenced, and at last said that the 
audience must agree with him that it was a great privilege to 
have received Mr. Moody into the church at all, even after 
such a long delay. 

The zeal of the young convert soon began to- make things 
uncomfortable in the prayer meetings of the Mount Vernon 
Church. He began to speak in the meetings, adding exhor- 
tations which were by no means agreeable to the elegant be- 
lievers about him; indeed, they sometimes were received with 
evident marks of disfavor. One good old lady even ven- 
tured to call on his Uncle Samuel and request him to advise 
the young zealot to hold his peace until he should be more 
able to edify the meetings. But Mr. Holton replied that he 
was glad that Dwight had courage to confess his Savior in 
such presence and declined to put a straw in his way. The 
young man had evidently set his face like a flint in the direc- 
tion of heaven and duty, and so vigorously did he resist the 
devil and so hopefully struggle ahead, that at last even his 
aunt, Mrs. Holton, to whom he opened his heart, was con- 
strained to believe that he was one of the elect. 

His zeal flamed up rapidly. He wanted to speak or pray 
in every meeting. Even Dr. Kirk got out of patience with 
him. Instead of seeking to utilize the energies of this young 
steam engine they sought to put out the fires. Nobody 
seemed in any great hurry about the salvation of sinners. 
4 



50 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

God's processes of grace were supposed to be slow and grad- 
ual. "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence'' and young 
Moody had gone into the kingdom of heaven with a rush, and 
he was impatient at the slow pace of his neighbors. He 
wanted to lay hold of "the powers of the world to come." He 
wanted to hurry on the millennium. 

For two years he endured like a caged lion the restraints 
which the pressure of society put upon him. There seemed 
to be no room for him anywhere, and having mastered the 
details of his business he boldly started westward, seeking for 
fortune and for freedom. 




w 



Early Career in Chicago. 

ITH every nerve of his body quivering with en- 
ergy and stinging him into restlessness, with 
growing pains shooting through heart and 
mind as well, young Moody full of ambition and 
zeal in September, 1856, struck out for Chicago. 
He would at least have a chance to breathe and grow and 
find there plenty of work to do in his own fashion. A grow- 
ing country lad of nineteen, with clothes none too well fitting, 
who had taken on very little of the Boston polish, certainly 
must have presented a rough and unfinished appearance as he 
presented his letters of recommendation to Mr. Wiswall, a 
boot and shoe merchant located on Lake street. Chicago is 
a very poor place for boy or man who is not able to keep up 
with the procession, but she has plenty of cheers for the one 
who can elbow his way to the front. It is generally a fair 
field and no favor. Young Moody's hale and hearty manner, 
good nature and Yankee wit soon made him very popular 
with the rougher class of customers, and he rapidly won 
his way as a salesman into the more favorable consideration 
of his employer. Mr. Wiswall said of him, "His ambition 
made him anxious to lay up money. His personal habits 
were exact and economical. As a salesman he was just the 
same zealous and tireless worker that he afterwards became 
in religion." 

It was the fashion in those early days for some of the 
younger salesmen to sleep in the store. It had a double ad- 
vantage; it gave them free lodgings and saved the expense 
of a watchman. Those were exciting times in the political 
world, and Moody had three very decided traits of character 
which made things lively in an amateur debating society that 
held its meetings in the store with shoe boxes for audience. 



52 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

He was a violent abolitionist, an ardent calvinist, and from 
early training a puritan, hence the "Irrepressible conflict" 
was always "on" in the field of politics, theology and morals. 
All his energy, however, did not evaporate in mere talk. His 
zeal for the Master, his desire to be doing something, was 
urging him as fiercely as ever. He presented his letter to the 
Plymouth Congregational Church and at once set himself to 
work as a home missionary. The art of setting one's-self to 
work is almost a lost art. It seems to have been smothered 
under the modern idea that all the Lord's work must be done 
by committees, decently and in good order. But Moody 
must be up and doing. Do what? Anything he could find 
to do. The first thing he did was to hire four pews in the 
church, paying for them, too, out of his moderate salary; and 
the next thing was to keep them full of young men every Sab- 
bath. He was a stranger to the later text books on "Reli- 
gion made Easy." He believed in work, hard work, lots of it. 
Hence he found an outlet for part of his surplus energy in 
attending morning class in the First Methodist Church. 
Here he found congenial labor and fellowship also, with a 
band of young men who went about Sunday mornings to the 
hotels and saloons and into courts and alleys, distributing 
tracts and inviting people everywhere to the church services. 

But his way was not all easy inside the church, any more 
than it was outside. He would speak in meeting, and some- 
times speak out in meeting to the vexation of the good dea- 
cons, and sometimes even to the annoyance of the class 
leaders. Worst of all he would tell the Lord what he thought 
of them in terms that were far from flattering; so that even 
Chicago became tired of a young fellow who would never 
keep still; and he was too big to sit on. 

The chilling reception Moody received from the churches 
might have been the Lord's way of guiding him out into the 
great work of his life. He was greatly interested in Sunday 
schools, and he certainly had a taking way with him. He be- 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 53 

came a recruiting officer at large. On one of his exploring 
tours on the Northside he found a little Sunday school in 
Wells street and offered to take a class. The superintendent 
eyed him doubtfully, and replied that he had plenty of teach- 
ers, but that if he would bring in a class he might have a 
place for them. The next Sunday in walked Moody with 
eighteen little, ragged, dirty, bareheaded, and barefooted 
urchins at his heels, but every one of them, as he said, having 
a soul to be saved. 

TWO FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHS. 

In strange contrast to the many valuable oil paintings 
which adorn the walls of the Northfield, Mass., home of 
Dwight L. Moody hang two modest little photographs, fram- 
ed in plain oak, which were said to be dearer to the heart of 
the great evangelist than his entire collection of canvases 
painted by master hands. The photographs, which are re- 
produced for this volume in half-tone engravings, are of 
particular interest at present as they mark the beginning of 
the evangelistic work to which he devoted his life. 

The photographs occupy prominent places on the wall of 
Mr. Moody's favorite room, and the strange contrast be- 
tween their almost shabby appearance and that of their 
handsome neighbors attracts the immediate attention of all 
who enter. The pictures are eight by ten inches in size, and 
in the handwriting of the great evangelist is written on one, 
"Does it pay?" on the other, "It does." 

In response to inquiries Mr. Moody often laughingly re- 
ferred to the pictures as his "before and after taking" signs. 

The pictures are companions, and Mr. Moody always said 
one would be incomplete without the other. The first shows 
a group of fourteen street gamins, ragged and dirty, such as 
can be found in the slums of any great city, with Mr. Moody 
and John V. Farwell, of Chicago, in the background. The 
second shows twelve of the same boys, clean and prim and 



54 DWIGHT L. MOODY 

neatly dressed in the garments boys of their ages wore many 
years ago. The pictures are of peculiar interest as the pho- 
tographs of the boys who composed the first class ever taught 
the gospel by the man who since preached to more persons 
and led more to salvation than any man since the days of Paul. 
Both pictures are faded by time, and at some time the sec- 
ond met with an accident which almost obliterated the fea- 
tures of the boys. It was repaired many years ago by a pho- 
tographer who to-day would not pass as an artist at his trade 
and leaves the youngsters with an unnaturally spick and span 
appearance. The second picture shows but twelve boys, and 
Mr. Moody when asked what became of the other two, al- 
ways replied, "They were lost," leaving the questioner in ig- 
norance as to whether they died or deserted the class and 
went back to their old haunts. 

MOODY FINDS HIS MISSION. 

With all his impetuosity and brusqueness and independence 
of speech and manner, Moody was a very teachable young 
man; only he was very like an old Scotch Elspeth with whom 
her minister one day had had a very long and heated and 
rather disappointing argument. At last he broke out on her 
impatiently with the words, "But you are not open to convic- 
tion." Instantly she replied: "Yes, I am, but show me the 
mon that can convince me." 

One Sunday Moody found a friend. Are you astonished at 
the statement? A good friend is the scarcest article in this 
world. This is how it came about. Mr. J. B. Stillson, a Pres- 
byterian elder from Rochester, New York, was at that time 
building the Chicago custom house. Anxious to do some- 
thing for the neglected sailors that swarmed along the North 
river, he began, in the spring of 1857, to visit the ships in the 
river, holding meetings with them on the decks, or on the 
street corners among the saloons and the sailors' boarding 
houses, and giving out tracts and Testaments to all who 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 55 

would receive them. One Sunday morning he met a stout, 
hearty fellow doing the same thing, and they "fell in" with 
each other. The young man begged the privilege of further 
work with him, saying, "I want to do something for Christ, 
and I do not very well know how." Thenceforth these two 
men labored and prayed together for years among the sailors, 
in the hospitals and jails, in the homes of the poor, the. desti- 
tute and degraded, and the outcast, and recruited scholars 
for many a mission Sunday school. But Moody was not long 
satisfied with this half-way kind of business. He wanted a 
school of his own, and finding a deserted saloon near the 
Northside Market he rented it for his school on Sundays and 
for services during several evenings of the week. What a 
place it was ! 

Standing on the sidewalk and looking south he faced the 
market, a little beyond it the north branch of the Chicago 
river, sluggish and vile, covered with floating craft of every 
kind. When preaching on the street his voice could be heard 
in two hundred drinking and gambling dens. But, worst of 
all, away to the left, reaching to the shores of the lake, to the 
point of land between lake and river, was a very deviFs dump- 
ing ground. It was a sort of "no man's land," called The 
Sands. Policemen were glad to give it the widest berth. 
Disorder, drunkenness and vice reigned supreme, and crime 
was common. It was pandemonium at night. The resort of 
the lowest and most abandoned creatures ever clothed in 
human form. No decent person could safely walk those 
streets after dark. But here the young barbarians swarmed. 
They were just the kind he was looking for. He had a kind 
of instinct his mission was to save the lost. These waifs, 
whom the church was too respectable to care for, at least 
were taking little or no care of, these were certainly lost and 
needed a shepherd's care. Here was the field, yet not a field, 
but a morass, a moral swamp in which people were sinking. 
Young and old were being literally swallowed up alive in 



56 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

these sink-holes of iniquity. Here was work hard enough to 
tax all his energies, yet to him it afforded a secret, even if 
undefined, satisfaction. Here was ignorance so dense that 
even he could teach them; misery so pitiable he might bring 
them some relief; souls so degraded and wretched in their 
sins that he could exhort to repentance without offending 
ears polite. In later years some gentleman, or at least a man 
with some culture, made some unkindly comment on Mr. 
Moody's grammatical blunders, and Moody turned on him, 
saying, "Well, you've got lots of grammar. What are you do- 
ing for Jesus Christ?" 

At that day the phrase was not in common use, but he 
realized the horrible situation of the people and with all his 
strength he plunged into the mire to drag up whom he could 
out of those submerged masses, and he made it his ambition 
to reach the lowest. His greatest delight seemed to be to 
search out the vilest and most degraded. His joy was to 
bring the worst sinners to Christ. Here was his recruiting 
ground. He began looking for lost sinners on The Sands. 
He invited, persuaded and finally coaxed the little ragamuf- 
fins into his miserable mission room. 

His old friend, Mr. Reynolds of Peoria, 111., once related 
this incident of early days: 

"The first meeting I ever saw him at was in a little, old 
shanty that had been abandoned by a saloon keeper. Mr. 
Moody had got the place to hold a meeting in at night. I 
went there a little late, and the first thing I saw was a man 
standing up, with a few tallow candles around him, holding 
a negro boy and trying to read to him the story of the Prodi- 
gal Son, and a great many of the words he could not make 
out and had to skip. I thought, If the Lord can ever use 
such an instrument as that for his honor and glory, it will 
astonish me. 

"After that meeting was over, Mr. Moody said to me, 'Rey- 
nolds, I have got only one talent. I have no education but I 




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EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 57 

love the Lord Jesus Christ, and I want to do something for 
him, and I want you to pray for me.' I have never ceased 
from that day to this, morning and night, to pray for that 
devoted Christian soldier. I have watched him since then, 
have had counsel with him, and know him thoroughly, and for 
consistent walk and conversation I have never met a man to 
equal him. It astounds me when I look back and see what 
Mr. Moody was thirteen years ago, and then what he is under 
God to-day. Shaking Scotland to its very center, and 
reaching now over to Ireland. The last time I heard from 
him his injunction was, Tray for me every day; pray now 
that God will keep me humble.' " 

We can scarcely imagine a young man of twenty stumbling 
through the story of the Prodigal Son. But one thing is cer- 
tain: Though he may have stumbled over many words, skip- 
ping the words he could not make out, he continued to study 
the New Testament for hours together, and loving Jesus 
Christ as he did, he found him everywhere and could tell the 
story of that love and sacrifice so that the negro boy could 
understand it. That story is for all childhood a very treasure 
of love. A little girl just able to read was very fond of it and 
when taken sick and lying on her bed she asked her mother to 
read it to her. When the mother came to the verses which 
tell how the father ran out to meet the poor, ragged boy, with 
tears in her eyes she exclaimed, "O, mamma, how good God 
is, how he loves us." So. Mr. Moody read the story to the 
waifs and the vagabonds he could persuade to come to his 
shanty. 

The first thing was to catch the children. One thing he 
had learned in the cottage home at Northfield from the de- 
votion of his mother and from daily little self-denials for each 
other's sake in a family so large and so poor — he had learned 
to love children. He loved them intensely, but how to catch 
these street Arabs, these little heathen who lived in hovels and 
received more kicks and cuffs than bread, and more curses 



58 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

than affection? There was nothing in the shanty to attract 
the children, only a few ricketty chairs and wooden benches 
along the walls. We are told that he invested comparatively 
large sums of money out of his small earnings in maple sugar, 
filled his pockets with the broken pieces and then started for 
The Sands. In this way he won their confidence and at 
length came to be known, by sight at least, to every man, 
woman and child in all that district. 

Soon he had a crowd of young ruffians in his mission with 
his friends, Mr. Stillson and Mr. Trudeau, to help him. 
Classes there were none. "All three worked to their full- 
est capacity in quieting several simultaneous scuffles and 
fights in different corners of the rooms; rescuing little boys 
from the clutches of the big ones, and keeping down the noise 
among this mob of children, who, between the prayers and 
hymns would pull each other's hair and black each other's 
eyes in a manner which left no doubt of the strictly missionary 
character of the school." 

Mr. Moody did not fret himself out of patience. He had 
worked hard to get them there. He had promised the Lord 
to do what he could to save them. If it should take a separate 
teacher for every boy and every girl in the room, "that school 
was fore-ordained to go on." 

OUTGROWING THE SHANTY 

And go on it did most famously, as the following extract 
will show: 

"In i860 Mr. George H. Stuart made a trip to Europe and 
went up to Edinburgh to attend the meetings of the Assem- 
blies of the Old Kirk and the Free Church. Mr. Spurgeon 
was there also, by special invitation, to address the Free 
Church Assembly. A breakfast was given Mr. Spurgeon by 
some friends of the Sabbath school cause by way of welcome. 

"While Rev. William Arnot was speaking some one sent up 
Mr. Stuart's name as a friend from America interested in 
Sabbath schools. As soon as Mr. Arnot sat down he was 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 59 

called on by the chairman to come up and in five minutes 
tell all about the Sabbath schools of America. 
A FIVE MINUTE SPEECH. 

"Taking out my watch, I commenced by stating that, as the 
subject was a large one and the time for its discussion was 
brief, I would waive all introductory remarks and proceed at 
once to the discussion of the subject, dividing it into three 
heads: First, a place; second, a man; third, a school. I said 
that when I went to America as a young man the place about 
which I was to speak had thirty-three inhabitants and that 
being there last summer with my wife and daughter, I was 
obliged to get a policeman to help us across one of the princi- 
pal thoroughfares, the crowd being so great; and that this 
place had at that time three hundred and seventy-five thous- 
and inhabitants. The people glanced at each other as much 
as to say, That is a Yankee story.' So much for the place. 

"The man, when a young lad left his quiet country home to 
make his way through the world, and found a situation in a 
shoe store in one of our large cities. The head of the house 
took the lad to his Sabbath school and placed him in the class 
of a young teacher who was eminently successful in interest- 
ing the boys under his charge. This country lad, being handed 
a Bible and trying to find the lesson, which was in one of the 
epistles, was looking for it in Genesis — which set the other 
boys laughing. The teacher kindly handed the pupil his own 
Bible opened at the right place. 

"This boy afterwards was converted in that church, which 
he proposed to join, but the pastor found him so ignorant 
that he declined to receive him for some six months. This 
pastor was Dr. Kirk, of Boston, who told me this himself, and 
said that he had afterwards listened to the preaching of that 
boy with interest and profit. This country boy soon after his 
conversion removed to the place I have referred to, and soon 
after, being still regarded as too ignorant to teach in the 
church Sabbath school, founded one of his own. 



60 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

'This I had visited when I was in the place referred to on 
an exceedingly hot summer day, with the thermometer at 
98 degrees — so hot, indeed, that one of the most eloquent 
preachers in the land, Dr. Rufus Clarke, of Albany, adjourned 
the morning service to meet in the lecture room in the even- 
ing on account of the extreme heat. Yet in that school I 
found over one thousand scholars, who were taught as well 
as superintended, by this country boy. I closed my five- 
minute address in time by saying that the place was Chicago, 
the boy was Dwight L. Moody, and the school the Illinois 
Mission. I do not believe that half a dozen of those present 
fully believed my story and probably not one of them had ever 
heard of Mr. Moody." 

THE NORTH MARKET MISSION. 

It was not long before Mr. Moody found his school out- 
growing the quarters in the old shanty. He must find larger 
accommodations. Over the Old North Market, which be- 
longed to the city, was a great hall, generally used on Sat- 
urday nights for dancing. By special permission of Mayor 
Haines the school was transferred to this hall. For years 
this remained the home of one of the most wonderful mission 
schools in the country. The story of its early trials is now 
an old one. The condition of that hall on Sunday mornings 
was most horrible. It took Mr. Moody and his assistants 
most of the forenoon to sweep out the sawdust and wash out 
the tobacco and beer slops. This was the more imperative 
as for sometime there were no chairs or benches, and the chil- 
dren, and indeed the whole school, were obliged to stand or 
else sit on the floor. Mr. Moody himself could not stand this 
sort of thing very long, and he started out to raise the money 
needed to seat it. Among the many to whom he applied was 
Mr. J. V. Farwell, a wealthy merchant whom he had met at 
the First Methodist Church. After securing his money he 
invited him over to see the school. The next Sunday Mr. 
Farwell appeared as a visitor; but never had he witnessed 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 6j 

such a scene as that hall presented. The seats had not yet 
arrived. The noise at times was like bedlam let loose. The 
school was sprawling on the floor, or leaning against the 
walls. Boys were tussling, turning somersaults, crying out 
"Papers !" "Have a shine, Mister?" There were a few quieter 
moments occasionally while the scriptures were being read, 
or Mr. Trudeau was singing, or Mr. Moody was talking to 
them. Classes, of course, there were none. Mr. Farwell 
was soon called to make a speech, and then to his horror Mr. 
Moody nominated him as superintendent of the school. Be- 
fore he could object he was elected with a wild hurrah; in- 
stalled that very day, and for six years the enterprise of 

MOODY, FARWELL & COMPANY, 
flourished at the old market stand. It soon became very 
popular. In three months it increased to two hundred; in 
six months to three hundred and fifty, and within a year the 
average attendance was about six hundred and fifty, with an 
occasional crowd of nearly a thousand. It was estimated that 
about two thousand children passed through that school 
every year. It was of this school that Mr. George H. Stuart 
spoke so enthusiastically in Edinburgh in i860, to the great 
astonishment, if not incredulity, of his hearers. 

The school became immensely popular. Leading members 
of prominent churches volunteered as teachers, and many 
wealthy persons became interested in its support. Let us not 
suppose that this school grew of itself. Behind it were the 
tremendous energies of Mr. Moody and the assistance of 
many friends. 

In one of his sermons to young men in Edinburgh on "The 
Lord's Workers," he said: "What men want in doing the 
Lord's work is courage, 'enthusiasm, perseverance and sym- 
pathy. 

"Enthusiasm:- We need more enthusiasm. The more we 
have the better. I have a great admiration for Garabaldi, 
though I cannot, of course, approve of all his acts. When 



62 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

put in prison he said: 'It were better that fifty Garabaldis 
should perish than that Rome should not be free.' This was 
the cause getting above the man. That is what we want. 
We want to forget ourselves. There are one hundred thous- 
and men waiting now to be brought to Christ, to be invited to 
come to Him, and shall we hang back? Let us have enthu- 
siasm." 

''Perseverance: 'This one thing I do,' said Paul. He had 
received thirty-nine stripes, and if he had other thirty-nine 
stripes to receive, still 'This one thing I do,' he said, 'forget- 
ting the things that are behind I press towards the mark.' A 
terrible man he was — this man of one thing, and one aim, and 
determined to go on doing it. To every man his work." 

And this young man in Chicago, what a terrible worker he 
was! 

A MAN OF TIRELESS ENERGY. 
Here was ample opportunity to test his muscles of steel and 
to try the courage of the young lion. Every evening in the 
week, in all weather, Mr. Moody and his friend, Mr. Stillson, 
or other companion, were steadily engaged from close of 
business until ten or eleven o'clock at night. He would not 
let the devil have it all his own way even in Chicago. On 
Sunday mornings they made a grand excursion through "The 
Sands" and other lost regions, seeking to gather the wild 
boys and girls from the streets into the Sabbath schools. 

Sometimes he was in danger of his life from enraged Catho- 
lics whose children he may have coaxed into his heretical 
school. Not once, but many times, have such fathers seized 
a club and rushed upon him with oaths and curses. At such 
times Mr. Moody would give heed to the words of the wise 
Master to his earlier missionaries: "If they persecute you in 
one city, flee ye into another;" saying that his legs were his 
best friends. How little he knew, when climbing the moun- 
tains in Northfield what those legs of his were in training for. 
But they had this peculiarity, that, after taking him out of 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 63 

danger one day, they would carry him right back into it again 
the next day. But under other circumstances his advice was 
different as the following story told by Mr. Hawley will illus- 
trate: 

One of the larger boys came to Moody one Sunday after- 
noon, seeming to be in great trouble and asking for confiden- 
tial advice. It appeared that his father was a violent Roman 
Catholic and a miserable drunkard besides; kind enough to 
his family when not in liquor, but almost certain to be drunk 
every Sunday and equally certain to give his son an unmerci- 
ful flogging on his return from the North Market School. 
The boy, who had outgrown his wild ways and learned some- 
thing of Christian duty, had endured this treatment for a 
long time rather than run away from home and leave his poor 
mother and his little sisters, whom he hoped some time to lead 
into a better way of life. 

On hearing the case Mr. Moody replied, "You must take 
advice of some one who is strong," by which the boy at once 
understood that he must ask help of the Lord. This he did; 
and then, going home, was met at the door by his father in a 
drunken rage, ready to give him the customary beating. 

Deliberately taking off his coat he said: 

"Father, you have always been kind to me when you are 
not in liquor; it is not my father but whiskey that beats me 
every Sunday; so now I am going to fight the whiskey." 

The old man, by no means cooled by such words, fell upon 
him with fury, but in the struggle which followed whiskey was 
so thoroughly beaten that from that time the father let his 
son go to his mission school in peace. 

But his elder brother also a papist, took the matter in hand, 
and for a change proposed to thrash Mr. Moody, whom he 
had never seen, as he had lately returned to the city after a 
long absence; but before a convenient opportunity arrived he 
was taken sick with a fever and for some time lay dangerously 
ill. 



64 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Among those who came to watch with him were some of 
the teachers of that hated North Market School, and present- 
ly Moody himself, who sat up with him a night or two watch- 
ing for a chance to help the poor fellow's soul. On learning 
who the warm-hearted stranger was, all his anger passed 
away. The promised beating was referred to no more, and 
he became as active a friend as he had been an enemy. 

Mr. Moody was never too tired to visit the sick to comfort 
and pray with them. He believed in practical piety, before 
the sociological, impersonal phrase, "Applied Christianity," 
was invented. When his own funds ran low he would beg of 
his friends that he might buy food and clothing for some of 
the poorest of the poor. One very wealthy gentleman would 
sometimes join Mr. Moody and Mr. Stillson in the rounds at 
night. On these happy occasions he would provide himself 
with a quantity of one-dollar notes folded separately and 
sometimes give away forty or fifty in a single evening among 
their poor and sick parishioners. 
Mr. Moody was emphatically 

A MAN OF ONE BOOK. 
His friend, Mr. Stillson, declared that during those years he 
did not know of Moody's owning any other book, except a 
copy of the New Testament. This was his sheet anchor. 
No man was more hungry for learning than he, but his desire 
was wholly in the direction of learning how to work for 
Christ. He was determined to know nothing, save Jesus 
Christ and Him crucified; and that he did know and that was 
what he taught. There were no series of Lesson Helps in 
those days, but every scholar and teacher had the one book — 
a copy of the New Testament. Thus whatever the denomi- 
national preferences might be, the gospel which was its great 
theme and inspiration, made this school a unit and held it 
close to Christ. It was not so specifically a Sunday school, 
as a gospel school. That text rang in his ears, "Seek first 
the kingdom of God and His righteousness." 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 65 

Mr. Moody believed that the shortest road to education 
and refinement was the road that led to the cross of Christ, 
and the gate of heaven. If he could make Christians of these 
wild boys and girls, he believed they would make gentlemen 
and ladies of themselves. The best praying was that which 
brought the greatest blessing, no matter how rude and un- 
couth the language; and the best exhorting was that which 
brought sinners the quickest to Christ. Dealing so constant- 
ly with the ignorant and degraded, brought face to face with 
the sins and sorrows of immortal souls that were fearfully be- 
nighted, his message must needs be a simple one, and he 
found it in the terms laid down by the apostle, "Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." To his mind 
nothing couM be easier and to those poor people it also ap- 
peared easy. They did as they were taught: "They reached 
out their dirty hands to take Christ, and attended to the 
washing of their hands afterwards." "He that winneth souls 
is wise." A.nd measured by that standard there was not to be 
found among laity or clergy, even at that early hour in his 
rising career, a wiser man than the rough, impetuous leader 
of the North Market Mission School. 

THE INFIDEL RUMSELLER. 

One day a friend reported a family to him where there were 
several children "due" at the mission — for Mr. Moody 
claimed every child in the region for his school — but the 
father was a notorious infidel saloon keeper, and would not 
let them come. But we will let Mr. Moody tell the story: 

"There was a terribly wicked man whose children I was 
very anxious to draw to my Sabbath school. So one day I 
called on this man and said, 'Mr. Bell, I want you to let your 
children come to Sabbath School.' He was very angry, said 
he did not believe in the Bible, school or anything else, and 
ordered me to leave the house. Soon after I went down 
again and invited him to come to church. He said that he 
had not been at church for nineteen years, and would never 
5 



66 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

go again; that he would rather see his son a drunkard and 
his daughter a harlot than that they should attend the school, 
and drove me away with violent curses. 

"A few days after I called again, and he said, 'Well, I guess 
you are a pretty good-natured sort of a man and different 
from the rest of Christians or you would not come back.' 
Seeing that he was in a good humor, I asked him what he had 
to say against Christ and if he had read His life, and he asked 
me what I had to say against Paine's Age of Reason, and if 
I had read it. I said I had not, whereupon he said that he 
would read the New Testament if I would read the 'Age of 
Reason.' To this I at once agreed, though he had the best 
of the bargain. Again I asked Mr. Bell to come to church, 
but he said the people were all hypocrites that went to 
church." 

That bargain gave Mr. Moody a chance to call again to 
take him the Testament, and not long after he called to see 
how he was getting on, and found him full of objections and 
hot for debate. 

"See here, young man," said he, "you are inviting me and 
my family to go to meeting, now you may have a meeting here 
if you like." 

"What, will you let me preach here in your saloon?" 

"Yes." 

"And will you bring in your family and let me bring in the 
neighbors?" 

"Yes; but mind, you are not to do all the talking. I and 
my friends will have something to say." 

"All right; you shall have forty-five minutes, and I will have 
fifteen. 

"The day came, and I went to keep my appointment, but \ 
never in all my life met such a crowd as I met at that saloon. 
Such a collection of deists, infidels and reprobates of all kinds, 
I never saw before. Their language and their oaths were 
horrible. Some of them seemed as if thev had come on leave 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 67 

of absence from the pit. I never was so near hell before." 

"You shall begin," said Mr. Moody; and with that they be- 
gan to ask him questions. 

"No questions," said fie; "I haven't come to argue with 
you, but to preach Christ to you." 

Then they began to talk and to argue among themselves. 
They couldn't agree; they quarreled and came very near to 
fighting before their debate was over. 

"When their time was up, I said that we Christians always 
began services with prayer. 'Hold, said they, 'two must be 
agreed first.' Well, here are two of us (for a little boy who 
had been converted in the mission was with him), and so I 
prayed. Then the little boy did so. I never heard a prayer 
like that in all my life. It seemed as if God was speaking 
through that little boy. With tears running down his cheeks 
he besought God, for Christ's sake, to take pity on all those 
poor men, and that went to their very hearts. I heard sobs 
throughout the hall and one infidel went out at this door, 
and another at that; and Mr. Bell came up to me and said: 
*You can have my children, Mr. Moody/ And one of the 
best friends I have in Chicago is that same Joshua Bell, and 
his son has come out for Christ and as a worker for Him." 

Mr. Stillson mentions the desperate case of a boy they 
found on The Sands. He was a sort of chief of a gang of 
guttersnipes, and it was a long time before they could catch 
this young ruffian, even with missionary sugar, and invite 
him to come to the mission school. It was a bitter cold day 
in February when he made his appearance at the door of the 
Mission. The only garment he had was a man's old over- 
coat, so ragged that it had to be stitched together around 
his body, giving him the appearance of being sewed up in a 
great, dirty bag. A big pair of shoes, and papers tied about 
his legs completed his winter costume. Mr. Moody, as soon 
as he caught sight of him, gave him his hand, pulled him in, 
and marching with him the whole length of the room gave 



68 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

him a place in a class with the same kindness and attention 
he would have shown to the best dressed boy on the North 
Side. 

At sight of this wretched waif, a stranger visiting the school 
was moved to tears. After the exercises were over, he took 
him to his own house and gave him a full suit of clothes be- 
longing to his own son. This wild lad, thus civilized in ap- 
pearance, continued to attend school, and one by one brought 
all his followers with him. "That lad" said Mr. Stillson, "is 
now a Christian gentleman, in receipt of a large salary, and 
superintendent of a Sunday school in one of our large cities." 

In his explorations one Saturday evening Mr. Moody found 
in a house a jug of whiskey, which the men had brought home 
to drink the next day. They were all away from home; but 
Moody gave the women a rousing temperance lecture, and 
persuaded them to let him pour the whiskey into the street. 
Early on Sunday afternoon he returned for the children. He 
found the men lying in wait for him to give him a beating. 
They were furious, and the situation was desperate, as one 
of them had stepped between him and the door. As they 
were about to fall on him, Mr. Moody, whose self-possession 
and courage seemed never to forsake him said to them: 

"See here, now, my men, if you are going to whip me for 
spilling the whiskey you might at least give me time to say 
my prayers." 

This struck them as such a novel idea, they agreed to it, 
just for the fun of the thing. But they had never heard such 
a prayer in all their lives. They were at first astonished, 
then confounded, and at last ashamed of themselves. 

When he had finished his prayer, they gathered about him, 
declaring that he was a good fellow; and in a few minutes he 
was away for the mission with all the children at his heels. 
MR. LINCOLN VISITS THE MISSION. 

The visit of Mr. Lincoln, president-elect, to the school one 
Sabbath in i860 was a memorable event. Learning of his 



EARLY CAREER IN CHICAGO. 69 

presence in the city, Mr. Farwell called at his hotel and 
secured from Mrs. Lincoln a promise on the president's be- 
half that he would visit the school the following Sunday. 
When the carriage was sent for him, Mr. Lincoln was seated 
at a dinner party given in his honor, but excusing himself, he 
took a hasty leave and departed. On the way over the river 
he requested not to be called on for a speech. Addressing 
Sabbath schools was quite out of his line. But when he was 
introduced as the president-elect of the United States, the 
big boys went wild, and called for a speech. It is said that 
this was the first and only time in his life that President Lin- 
coln made a Sunday school address. There was not a word 
of religion in it, but he told the boys and girls that they were 
in the right place and learning right things, and that, if they 
gave heed to what they were taught they would grow up to 
be useful and respected citizens. 

Sixty of those big, rough boys, a few months later, after 
Fort Sumter was fired on, answered the call to arms. They 
had heard and seen the man; it was their president who was 
calling them. 

By this time the exactions of a school of a thousand chil- 
dren became very great. In Mr. Moody's heart and ears was 
ringing constantly the cry of the destitute, degraded and the 
dying. It was an exceedingly sad and bitter cry. A singular 
providence just at that juncture emphasized the cry and led 
him to give up his business and enlist for life under the ban- 
ner of the cross, for the service of Christ, in seeking the sal- 
vation of his fellowmen. 




Begins to Live by Faith. 

-WOg PON June 15th, 1854, the Philadelphia Young 
m / Men's Christian Association was organized, with 

\ vS)B fifty-seven members. Mr. George II. Stuart 
^.^P was elected its first president. A small room was 
hired on Chestnut street below Seventh, which for 
some time after was opened only in the evenings. The inter- 
est in the work, however, increased so rapidly that it was 
deemed necessary to secure the services of a permanent, paid 
secretary, and Mr. John Wanamaker, then a clerk in a cloth- 
ing store, was elected and entered upon his duties — being the 
first paid secretary of the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion in America. 

The great revival of 1857—8 brought the laymen forward 
into greater activity than any previous religious movement 
in this country. The Philadelphia Association was privileged 
to take special part in the awakening of that memorable year. 
One early result of that movement was the establishment of 
a daily noon-day prayer meeting which grew so rapidly in 
numbers that thousands met daily in Jayne's Hall, while mul- 
titudes more were turned away. This great wave of religious 
enthusiasm which swept over the land during that winter, 
wrought out, in the organization of the Young Men's Chris- 
tian Association, a great and permanent blessing to the city of 
Chicago. 

Stimulated by the great success attending the meetings 
held in Jayne's Hall, Philadelphia, and the Fulton Street 
prayer meetings in New York, daily noon meetings were also 
held in Chicago under the auspices of their Association. So 
long as the fervor of the religious awakening continued, the 
meetings were well attended, and Mr. Moody found abun- 
dant opportunity for utilizing some of his surplus energy. 



BEGINS TO LIVE BY FAITH. 71 

He was regular in his attendance at these meetings, and made 
himself very conspicuous and somewhat disagreeable by his 
sharp and bold attacks upon the social sins of fashionable 
society. Those who have heard Mr. Moody in later years 
using such plain and pungent language when denouncing the 
habits of those professors of religion who wish to enjoy as 
many as possible of the pleasures of the world, without spoil- 
ing their final chance of heaven, can easily imagine how much 
less palatable would be the ruder speech of those earlier days. 
He certainly had little respect for persons and none for the 
mere dignities of fashion, wealth or station. Hence, when 
the tides of revival began to recede, many sensitive but care- 
less people who had been pricked in their consciences by his 
sharp thrusts and yet were not converted to a higher spiritual 
life, ceased to attend and the meetings began to drag heavily. 
But the man who had overcome such terrible obstacles and 
accomplished so much in the North Market Mission — which 
had been started against the advice of every minister in the 
neighborhood — was not likely to cease speaking that which 
he believed to be the truth, whatever the cofdness and dis- 
favor might be with which it was received. Many causes 
conspiring, however, the attendance fell off to a half dozen, 
he being one of the six; and when there were but three, he 
was one of the three — the other two very likely being his 
good friends, J. V. Farwell and B. F. Jacobs. We are told 
that upon one occasion all these brethren being out of town, 
nobody went to the prayer meeting but one old Scotch 
woman. This excellent old body set great store by the noon 
meeting and when no one else appeared, she determined to 
hold it herself rather than have it fail even for a single day. 
So after waiting a long time, she put on her spectacles, went 
forward to the leader's desk, read a passage of scripture, 
talked it over to herself for the comfort of her old heart, then 
offered prayer for the languishing meeting and for the out- 
pouring of the Holy Spirit upon it and upon the city. Prayer 



72 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

being ended, she sang a psalm, and the time having thus been 
all improved she went comfortably home, feeling that she had 
done her duty, gained a blessing and saved the noon prayer 
meeting from being utterly extinguished. 

The narration of this experience made a deep impression 
on the hearts of some of the brethren. Mr. Moody at once 
set to work to muster the forces and gather new recruits with 
the same energy that made him so successful in his mission 
work. The interest revived, the numbers increased, and the 
presence of the Spirit of the Lord gladdened and refreshed 
their hearts. All this time, however, Mr. Moody was 

ATTENDING TO BUSINESS 
being still determined to make his fortune in trade. He had 
already secured a decided advance in salary and a percentage 
on sales. During the hours devoted to business he threw 
himself into his work with greatest interest. One gentle- 
man has thus described his manner as a salesman: 

"He would never sit down in the store to chat or read the 
papers, as the other clerks did when there were no customers; 
but as soon as he had served one buyer he was on the lookout 
for another. If none appeared, he would start off to the 
hotels or depots, or walk the streets in search of one. He 
would sometimes stand on the sidewalk in front of his place 
of business, looking eagerly up and down for a man who 
had the appearance of a merchant from the country; and 
some of his fellow clerks were accustomed laughingly to say, 
There is the spider again watching for a fly/ " 

He was always busy, either serving his customers or look- 
ing for new ones, but never idle. By his genial, hearty man- 
ner, his willingness to oblige his customers and to take any 
amount of trouble to please them, his share of trade rapidly 
increased. His reputation for honest, truthful dealing was 
firmly established. His eagerness, however, to turn in the 
largest sales sometimes led him into errors of judgment that 
a more prudent man would have avoided. We find the fol- 



BEGINS TO LIVE BY FAITH. 73 

lowing incident related of him by one of his employers: 

"We regarded him as an excellent salesman, but a poor 
judge of credits. In one particular instance he sold goods 
amounting to over two hundred dollars, to a man whom we 
found rated as 'doubtful' in the Mercantile Directory, and 
therefore refused to send them. But Mr. Moody at once 
came to the rescue of his customer, declared him to be 'as 
good as the Bank of England' and offered to be responsible 
for the bill. On this we sent the goods; and when the money 
was due, sure enough it was Moody who paid it." 

But as time went on the affairs of his mission school began 
to crowd in upon his mind and heart, and when not closely en- 
gaged in business, the undercurrent of his thoughts was al- 
ways running over to the North Side. His business acquain- 
tances and fellow salesmen began to think him unsocial, but 
with his friends at the mission and all persons interested in 
Christian work, he was on the happiest terms of intimacy and 
heartiest good fellowship. 

In personal habits he was very economical and he might 
have saved considerable money but for the claims of the mis- 
sion and the poor, distressed children he had gathered into 
the school. "Sometimes I have seen as many as twenty 
children come into the store at once to be fitted out with 
shoes," his employer has said. 

While we know that he was the almoner of the generous 
gifts of others, at the same time increasing demands were 
made upon his time and money by the growing needs of his 
mission work. 

After spending two years with his first employer, Mr. Wis- 
wall, he entered the house of Mr. C. N. Henderson, who had 
become greatly interested in Mr. Moody and in his work at 
the mission. He now became 

A COMMERCIAL TRAVELER 
but no matter how far away his business might take him he 
was sure to be back on Sunday for his work at the mission. 



74 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

This would have been a very heavy tax on his income — as the 
house only allowed expenses for returning once a month — 
but for a pass granted him through the kindness of his friend, 
Colonel Hammond, superintendent of the Chicago, Burling- 
ton and Quincy Railroad. This gentleman was also one of 
that noble company of wealthy men who rallied to the help of 
Mr. Moody at the mission, glad to shake themselves loose for 
a time from the routine of business and warm their hearts 
in the service of the Master. 

Upon the death of Mr. Henderson, Moody entered the 
employ of the house of Messrs. Buel, Hill & Granger, but 
remained with them only about a year. During all that time 
he was becoming more and more a missionary and less and 
less a merchant, until by degrees he came to be so full of his 
religious work as to lose interest in everything else. The 
searching experience which led him to this work of self con- 
secration was narrated by Mr. Moody some years later in 
Chicago, as follows: 

"I will tell you how I got my first impulse in this personal 
work for souls. I hadn't got hold of the idea; there was no 
one to teach me, and I was going on with the general work 
of my school in i860, when a man who was one of my Sunday 
school teachers came into my place of business one day, look- 
ing very ill. I asked him what was the matter, and he replied 
T have been bleeding at the lungs and the doctors have given 
me up to die.' 'But you are not afraid to die, are you?' 'No, 
I think not/ he answered; 'but there is my class. I must 
leave it, and there is not one of them converted.' It was a 
class of young girls that gave me more trouble than any other 
class in the whole school; and he had hard work to get along 
with them. 'Well,' said I, 'can't you go and call on them 
before you go away?' 'No/ he said; he was too weak to walk. 
So I went and got a carriage and took him round to see 
those careless scholars. And he pleaded with them and 
prayed with them one by one, to give their hearts to Christ. 



BEGINS TO LFVE BY FAITH. 7S 

He spent ten days at this work, and every one of that class 
was saved. 

The night before he left the city for his home at the East, 
where he was going to see his mother and to die, we got the 
teacher and the class together; and such a meeting I never saw 
on earth. He prayed and I prayed; and then the scholars 
of their own accord, without my asking them — I didn't know 
they could pray — prayed for their teacher, and for themselves 
that they might all be kept in the way of life, and by-and-by 
all meet again in heaven. I have thanked God a thousand 
times for those ten days of personal work." 
GIVES UP BUSINESS. 

Soon after the experience of these ten days Mr. Moody 
resigned his position and severed his connection with the 
world of business. He began to live by faith. Following, 
as he believed, the leadings of the Holy Spirit, he gave up his 
long cherished hope of making a fortune and thenceforth 
devoted himself to the work of saving souls. 

Meeting him one day soon after he had left their house, 
Mr. Hill said to him, "Moody, what are you doing now?" 

"I am at work for Jesus Christ," was the reply. 

"His answer shocked me a little at first; but on thinking it 
over, I felt that it was a fair statement of the facts in the case. 
That was just what he was doing; and his work for the Lord 
was just as real and as vigorous as it had always been for his 
other employers. He left our house under the pleasantest 
circumstances, having maintained his Christian character un- 
blemished, and we all bade him God-speed in the work to 
which we believed he was called." 

After he had thus turned his back upon business, he said 
to his friend, Mr. Jacobs: "I have decided to give God all my 
time." 

"But how are you going to live?" inquired his friend. 

"God will provide for me, if he wishes me to keep on, and 
I shall keep on till I am obliged to stop," was Moody's reply. 



76 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Out of the savings of the last few years he took one thous- 
and dollars for his first year's expenses and invested the re- 
mainder for future use. He now felt himself to be the hap- 
piest man in the land. He was rich, and he was free. He 
could now devote all his time and heart and strength to per- 
sonal work for Christ. Week-days, as well as Sundays, were 
all consecrated to God. His resolution to wait only on the 
Lord was never broken. From that day until the day of his 
death he 

NEVER RECEIVED A SALARY 
from any individual, society or church, or engaged in any 
speculation or business. Sometimes his faith was sorely 
tried, but there was always a barley cake between him and 
starvation. It was not long before the thousand dollars 
which had seemed so much were used up by the mission and 
in relieving the misery and destitution which abounded in all 
that district. Somehow the little balance which he had in- 
vested took to itself wings and flew away like Elijah's ravens 
and he found himself alone on the banks of a dried-up Cherith. 

Among the few books which Mr. Moody had read was 
"Muller's Life of Trust," and by it he was helped to rely on 
the promise 'Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou 
dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." Instead of 
going to Zarephath to find some widow to sustain him, he 
moved his residence, that is, he removed himself into the 
quarters of the Young Men's Christian Association, in a 
large back room in the Methodist Church block. It was go- 
ing back to earlier experiences when he "bunked" in the store 
to save the cost of lodgings; only now he didn't even have a 
bunk but only a bench, and frequently only had crackers and 
cheese for his dinner, with a good supply of lake water. He 
kept his affairs to himself. He worked harder than ever, col- 
lecting large sums of money for the poor, for the mission and 
the works of charity and religion carried on by the Associa- 
tion, but would not touch a penny of such funds to meet his 
own necessities. 



BEGINS TO LIVE BY FAITH. 77 

The Lord knoweth our frame. He knows just when faith 
has been stretched to its utmost tension. Then comes relief. 
As Jesus knew the weakness of Peter and said: "I have 
prayed for thee that thy faith fail not" — so does he ever pray 
for those who trust Him. 

"Say not, my soul, from whence can God release my care; 
Remember that Omnipotence hath servants everywhere. 
God's wisdom is sublime; His heart profoundly kind; 
God never is before His time and never is behind." 

Mr. Moody received a strong confirmation of his faith in a 
REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF HEALING 
in the case of a gentleman associated in the work of the mis- 
sion. A certain Mr. Field, of Wisconsin, had come to Chi- 
cago temporarily, on business. Being a man "full of faith 
and of the Holy Ghost" he became a valuable helper to Mr. 
Moody, connecting himself with the North Market School. 
For many years he had been lame in one leg. It had become 
stiff and crooked and he was obliged to walk with a crutch or 
a cane. Excessive use of it, searching after new scholars — 
Moody fashion — in highways and byways, aggravated the dis- 
ease and he began to suffer great pain from it; so much indeed 
that he had arranged for a surgical examination on the follow- 
ing Monday. 

On Sunday it was noticed that Mr. Field came to the school 
without his cane. At the close of the exercises he took Mr. 
Moody and Mr. Farwell up to his room, bounding up stairs 
two steps at a time, and told them his experience as follows: 

"You know how lame I have been, and that my leg had be- 
come so painful that I had decided to go to a doctor. Last 
night I crept out to the nearest bath-rooms, and returned to 
bed in great distress. While I lay there, the idea seemed im- 
pressed upon me that the Lord could cure me as well as the 
doctor. I called to mind how He healed the man sick with the 
palsy; and I said to myself/ I will ask Him to cure me in the 
same way.' Committing my case wholly to the Lord, I soon 



78 DWI'GHT L. MOODY. 

fell asleep; and dreamed that I went to the surgeon as he had 
appointed, and that he cut open my leg, performed some oper- 
ation, and immediately closed the wound again, not hurting 
me in the least. 

''My first thought on awaking in the morning was that all 
the pain was gone; the lame leg felt strangely well. Throw- 
ing off the bedclothes, I was astonished to find it straightened 
so as to be of equal length with the other. Leaping from the 
bed I found that I could use it with freedom; and remember- 
ing my dream I began to praise God for answering my prayer 
and working on me a miracle of healing.* * * * And I have 
called you to join me in praising God who is able to save peo- 
ple in these days just as Jesus did in the days of his flesh." ' 

"Since then," said Mr. Farwell, "lie walked upon two good 
legs, like any other man; and the shrunken muscles, by means 
of proper exercise, as he expected returned to their normal 
proportions." 

While not tending to make Mr. Moody in the least extrava- 
gant in his views it was a manifestation of God's nearness, 
and goodness, and power, and that still the promises held 
good — for daily bread as for healing — and springing up in 
his own renewed faith he grasped the hand of the Lord with 
firmer grip than ever. 

Presently some of his friends began to inquire secretly as 
to how he was living and learning of the bareness of his board 
and the hardness of his bed, they insisted on providing him 
with abundant comforts of life. The Lord evidently still had 
plenty of work for him to do. 

To some of his friends who blamed him for neglecting his 
own personal, worldly interest he would say, "God is rich and 
I am working for him." 

His favorite text of scripture was, "This one thing I do; 
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth 
unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, 
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 



Young Men's Christian Association. 

"^fc^^^OR more than forty years the Young Men's Chris- 
1 tian Association has been the right hand of the 
^^\<5) church, extended to welcome all young men who 
would enter her doors. As we have already stat- 
ed, the Association of Chicago was born out of 
the great revival of 1857-8, and the dew of its youth and the 
Spirit, that first inspired and then baptized it, have been its 
most precious endowments unto this very hour. 

Ten years after its organization less than two hundred and 
fifty societies could be found in all the United States; but to- 
day there is scarcely a town of any importance where the 
doors do not swing open at the touch of a stranger's hand, re- 
vealing the light, and cheer, and rest, and help, and friend- 
ship that await him. Fifty years ago the churches were doing 
their work in the regular way, with their Sabbath services, 
Bible schools, and prayer meetings; but the external agencies 
for reaching the careless and unconcerned, the stranger and 
the outcast, were comparatively few and left to individual ini- 
tiative. 

Free libraries, free reading rooms, were scarcely known, 
while the Institutional Church had not even been dreamed of. 
And if in any of our larger towns and cities the Association 
seems to be losing somewhat of its attractive power, it may 
be because the churches are becoming Christian Associations 
that believe in working seven days in the week, instead of 
one, for the salvation of the individual and the uplifting of the 
masses. Many of the narrower or more conservative divines 
who had little idea that the churches of Christ were organized 
for the very purpose of making aggressive warfare against 
the kingdoms of the devil, were disposed to speak contemp- 
tuously of this useless fifth wheel to the gospel chariot. Our 
civil war, however, proved that the extra wheel every caisson 



80 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

had to carry was of inestimable value to the safety and effec- 
tiveness of a battery of light artillery. Selfish criticisms were 
sometimes heard against the large amounts of money spent 
in buildings, equipment and maintenance, which might have 
accomplished so much more good if poured through the rou- 
tine channels of church work. It is a sufficient answer to all 
such captious criticism that some of the largest hearted, most 
devoted Christian men to be found in our churches felt that 
some new means must be devised to overtake some part of 
the enormous amount of work still left undone. 

Looking back over those fateful years in the sixties, it 
would seem as if God was, by the great revival of 1857-8, pre- 
paring the heart of the nation for the awful sacrifice of war, 
and by the organization of the Young Men's Christian Associ- 
ation training young men who might render most valuable 
assistance in ministering comfort and consolation to the sick 
and the dying. 

When Mr. Moody cut loose from business that he might 
spend all his time in working for Jesus Christ, his heart was 
already taking in 

A SECOND LOVE. 

From its beginning he had given to the Association a large 
measure of his devotion and zeal. Now that his time was all 
his own for Christly service, he had been appointed chairman 
of the visiting committee to the sick and to strangers, for 
which he was so peculiarly well fitted. Chicago was a city of 
great distances. From the Lake shore the streets ran in 
every direction until they vanished in the boundless prairies. 
The city was his parish. The missionary pony was a necessi- 
ty if he was ever to visit his field, and one was bought out of 
the vanishing remnant of that thousand dollars, not to divide 
his labors but to multiply them — as the pony had four legs to 
his two. 

An old resident on the Northside who was familiar with 



YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 81 

him in those days, declares that he would chase the small fry 
up the streets and down the alleys, and after a Sunday morn- 
ing's search for new scholars, would emerge from some dirty 
lane, or court, his pony literally covered with ragged urchins, 
followed by other of the same sort, holding on by the pony's 
tail, catching by the stirrups, or clinging to each other's rags ; 
and these he would march in grand procession down to the 
North Market Sunday school. 

Mr. S. A. Kean, for many years treasurer of the Chicago 
Young Men's Christian Association, speaking of those days, 
said : 

"Moody found a congenial field of labor in the Association. 
When we joined it had but a few members; and, though it was 
called a young men's association; it was composed and man- 
aged almost entirely by middle-aged, or elderly men. As a 
consequence, its methods and policy were quiet and conserva- 
tive. Moody's advent among them was like a stiff northwest 
breeze. His zeal and devotion were the life and the hope of 
the Association. But he shocked the nice sense of propriety 
of some of these gentlemen by carrying its work among a 
class of people who had hitherto been neglected, under the 
impression that its proper line of effort was among the higher 
classes of young men. 

"Under Moody's leadership the Association became, like 
the North Market Mission, a free and popular institution — 
extending its influence to all classes of society, and bringing 
the cultured and wealthy to the assistance of the ignorant and 
the poor. 

"Mr. Moody was always fertile in schemes and expedients 
for raising money for the Lord's work, but of the many tens 
of thousands of dollars which he secured for the Association, 
he received nothing whatever for himself. 

"He always refused a salary, saying it would embarrass 
him and limit his freedom to go at a moment's notice wher- 
ever the Lord might call him. I was treasurer of the Associ- 

6 



82 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

ation from the time of his first connection with it, and I do not 
remember (he spoke from memory, as all the books were 
burned in the great fire) to have paid him a dollar, either for 
his services or the expenses incidental to his work. Neither 
do I remember any appropriation being made for his assis- 
tance, though he often needed and always deserved it." 

Mr. Moody soon became the acknowledged chief in the de- 
partment of city mission work. He arranged that each mis- 
sion school should be visited by and make reports to the As- 
sociation. He also endeavored to have each mission taken 
under the care and patronage of some strong and wealthy 
church. By this means the missions were strengthened, the 
young people given opportunity for personal service and the 
churches themselves roused and stimulated to greater activi- 
ty in every department of their work. 

Under his inspiring leadership a great deal of lay talent 
was brought into use and vastly multiplied. Some one has 
said that the Lord only gave Mr. Moody a half of a talent, but 
by diligent use he became the greatest soul winner in the 
world. The success of the Association even at that day, in 
bringing into the Kingdom large numbers of persons who 
had seemed to be utterly reprobate, caused the greatest as- 
tonishment. It became a blessing to all the evangelical 
churches in the city and soon commanded the confidence and 
co-operation of almost the entire Christian community. 

The first year's report of the committee of visitation, of 
which Mr. Moody was chairman, gives the number of families 
visited as 554, and the amount of money used in their relief as 
$2,350. The spiritual results, the souls comforted, the hearts 
won to the love of the Lord Jesus, the Book of Life to be 
opened at the last day can alone reveal; but it is safe to say 
that Mr. Moody was at that time the minister of Christ to 
more bodies and souls than any ordained clergyman in the 
city. The missions were all active and thriving. The poor 
had the gospel preached unto them — often in spite of them- 



YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 83 

selves. The noon prayer meeting, "though not always select, 
was generally forcible," and the manifest blessing of God 
rested on the man whose faith and zeal had roused a vast 
Christian brotherhood to realize their power and privilege as 
believers in Christ, and set them to work. 

CAMP AND FIELD. 

General Sherman once said: "War is hell." It must be a 
most righteous cause indeed that can justify an appeal to 
arms. When the "dogs of war" are let loose and the aid of 
the "God of battles" is invoked, it is not the immediate issue 
of a battle, nor of a campaign, nor even the terms of peace 
that can unerringly point out the side "whereon the right doth 
lie." It may require the passing of many years or even cen- 
turies before men may begin to read with any certainty what 
were the hidden purposes of an over-ruling providence. 

In i860 the United States was approaching the days of a 
tremendous struggle. It has been said that the famous 
"House-divided-against-itself" speech of Abraham Lincoln 
delivered in the hall of the House of Representatives 
at Springfield, Illinois, on the seventeenth day of June, 
1858, secured for him the nomination for the presi- 
dency. In that speech he said: "I believe this gov- 
ernment cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. 
I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease 
to be divided." His election hastened the hour, and his in- 
auguration precipitated the "Irrepressible Conflict." On the 
14th day of April, 1861, the first gun was fired on Fort Sum- 
ter, and on the 15th the proclamation was issued calling for 
seventy-five thousand men. 

Then came quickly the call for three hundred thousand 
more, and the four long and bitter and terrible years of war 
to preserve the integrity of the American Union and deliver 
it from the curse of slavery, had begun. 

No one who has lived through those years of sorrow, suf- 



84 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

fering and sacrifice, can ever forget the magnificent uprising 
of the people at the call of patriotism and duty. The war 
afforded the occasion also for the manifestation of the most 
remarkable Christian heroism and devotion that Christendom 
has ever witnessed, whereby many thousands of sick and 
wounded soldiers were saved from death, thousands re- 
deemed from the power of the temptations and vices of the 
camp, and many brought into the kingdom of God from the 
very edge of the grave. 

ORGANIZATION OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION 

The annals of the Christian Commission will remain, per- 
haps forever, as the noblest record of what the power of the 
Spirit of Christ can accomplish among men. Thousands of 
Christian men and women, inspired by the example of Him 
"who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister," were 
found everywhere, both in camp and on the battlefield, 
in hospitals and in the prisons, like good angels go- 
ing wherever there was need that they could reach, 
and ministering alike to the suffering of the "boys in blue" 
and the "boys in gray." In the midst of all the horrors of 
war, where the harvests of death were constantly ripening, 
God was working through these devoted servants miracles of 
mercy, and miracles of grace, the like of which had never been 
seen before. 

We are sure our readers will appreciate the insertion of a 
leaf or two out of these records regarding the organization of 
the Christian Commission. 

The great revivals which had preceded the civil war had 
prepared many of the young men of the country to carry 
their religion with them into the camps as they responded to 
the call for three hundred thousand men. 

The Christian Associations in Washington, Philadelphia 
and Chicago, and other cities, were all busy in their own way 
looking after the spiritual interests of the soldiers, but there 



YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 85 

had as yet been no united effort on their behalf. Many Chris- 
tian gentlemen felt that they should combine, in some meas- 
ure, efforts for their temporal welfare with those for their spir- 
itual, believing, as Mr. George H. Stuart very sensibly said: 
"There is a good deal of religion in a warm shirt and a good 
beef steak." Accordingly, the International Committee of 
the Young Men's Christian Association, of which Mr. George 
H. Stuart was chairman, and Mr. John Wanamaker, secre- 
tary, called an informal convention of the American Associa- 
tions to meet in New York on the 14th of November, 1861. 

The following resolution was adopted unanimously: "That 
it is the duty of the Young Men's Christian Association to 
take active measures to promote the spiritual and temporal 
welfare of the soldiers in the army, and the sailors and 
marines in the navy, in co-operation with the chaplains and 
others. Also that a Christian Commission, consisting of 
twelve members, who shall serve gratuitously, and who may 
fill their own vacancies, be appointed to take charge of the 
whole work." 

Of this Commission Mr. George H. Stuart was chosen 
president. He has said that he considered it the most im- 
portant position he ever rilled, as it introduced him into what 
he ever after regarded as the great work of his life. 

Of this Commission Mr. John V. Farwell, of Chicago, was 
a member. 

In January, 1862, the executive committee of the Commis- 
sion issued an address setting forth the great needs of the 
army, and the work which had been committed to their care. 
The address stated that there were seven hundred thousand 
men in the army and navy who had left the comforts of home 
to endure hardships, and many of them to die, for their coun- 
try, and appealing urgently for means to minister to their 
temporal and spiritual welfare. But it was not until May 14, 
1862, that their first delegate was commissioned, and their 
special work fairly begun. 



86 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

The government gave the Commission every facility possi- 
ble for carrying on their work in the camps, in the hospitals, 
or on the battlefields. All the railroads applied to endorsed 
the printed commission that was given to their delegates, fur- 
nishing transportation free of charge; they also carried all 
their stores and publications, and supplies of every sort, free 
of charge. All telegraph lines also in the country were freely 
placed at their disposal. No matter how long a despatch was, 
if it bore the signature of George H. Stuart, it was marked 
D. H. (Deadhead). We will only take space to narrate a 
single instance of the character and rapidity of their work. 
We find it in the life of George H. Stuart: 

"We were often obliged," he writes, "to use these wires in 
great emergencies to raise money; as in the case of 
THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, 
when I found that our treasury was largely overdrawn, while 
over twenty thousand wounded soldiers of both armies had 
been left on the battle-field, to whom we speedily sent three 
hundred and fifty-six delegates, with nearly a hundred thous- 
and dollars worth of stores. Before starting for the field 
myself, I drew up a long despatch, to be sent to the leading 
cities, stating the facts and asking for the privilege of draw- 
ing for different amounts. Boston, I asked for ten thousand 
dollars; and the response came back the same day, 'Draw for 
sixty thousand.' " 

It was in the work of the Christian Commission that Mr. 
Moody, so well known in Chicago, was brought more prom- 
inently before the notice of the public. At the outbreak of 
the war, Mr. Moody, as chairman of the devotional commit- 
tee of the Christian Association, found their opportunities 
for doing good vastly increased. A large camp of rendez- 
vous and instruction was formed in the southern part of the 
city, called 

CAMP DOUGLAS. 
With the arrival of the very first regiment, the committee 



YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 87 

were there and a religious service was held. Public worship 
and prayer meetings were everywhere established within easy 
reach of the soldiers. The zeal and devotion of the Chris- 
tian soldiers were thus stimulated at the very outset and they 
were encouraged and helped to take a bold stand for Christ, 
and not be ashamed of His name. 

Very soon Mr. Moody was the leader of a well organized 
band of one hundred and fifty Christian workers, who were 
carrying the gospel news from camp to camp, and from tent 
to tent with all the ardor and tenderness of brotherly affec- 
tion. By his efforts a Y. M. C. A. chapel was erected at Camp 
Douglas, at a cost of $2,300, in October 1861 — the first camp 
chapel in existence. Over fifteen hundred of these services 
were held in and around Chicago by the Association during 
the war. Of these meetings Mr. Jacobs has said: 

"Mr. Moody seemed almost ubiquitous. He would has- 
ten from one barrack and camp to another, day and night, 
week days and Sundays, praying, exhorting, conversing per- 
sonally with the men about their souls, and revelling in the 
abundant work and swift success which the war had brought 
within his reach." 

Many of the soldier converts having been sent to the front 
in Kentucky, they made most earnest appeals that Mr. 
Moody would come down and establish similar meetings in 
their war camps. In response to their repeated calls Mr. 
Moody was sent to the army near Fort Donelson, having the 
honor of being the first regular army delegate from Chicago, 
if not the first from any Association. 

Mr. J. V. Farwell was made chairman of Mr. Moody's war 
committee. When news arrived of the fall of Fort Donelson, 
February 15th, 1862, a special committee of relief was sent 
with Mr. Moody to the field, and with them went many others 
eager to minister to the sick, the wounded, and the dying. 
On the way up the river from Cairo a discussion arose as to 
the most efficient way of doing the great work lying before 



88 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

them. Mr. Moody, full of the idea of saving souls, urged 
that the first business in every case was to find whether the 
sick or dying man were a child of God; if he were, then with 
a word of prayer they were to pass on to the next; but if not, 
he was to be pointed at once to the Savior. 

Robert Collyer, a Unitarian divine, declared that the first 
comforts to be administered to these men who were ready to 
perish, were whiskey, brandy, milk punch, and the like. 
"Brace up the nerves of the poor fellows," said he, "and help 
to keep them alive, rather than begin trying to prepare them 
for death." 

Another minister thought that both were right, and both 
were wrong. They ought to do both according to circum- 
stances, though agreeing with Mr. Moody, if the poor fellow 
were actually dying, he should at once be told the story of 
the thief on the cross. 

Mr. Collyer was on his feet in a moment. "What!" said 
he, "are we to tell our dying heroes, who have gone forth to 
fight our battles and save our flag, while we stay comforta- 
bly at home, are we to talk to them about thieves?" 

The applause that greeted this speech showed where were 
the sympathies of the crowd, who had gathered about them. 
There is a very wide belief or feeling, at least, that "Christ 
isn't going to be hard on one who has died for his fellow- 
men." That to die for one's country is a quick and sure way 
of getting to heaven. 

The Crusaders went forth to battle for the possession of 
the Holy Sepulchre under the blessing of the Pope, who 
promised deliverance from all the pains of purgatory and im- 
mediate entrance into heaven to all who fell in battle or by 
the way. They went out to meet their Moslem foe, who were 
equally fanatical, believing that "Paradise lies under the sha- 
dow of the sword." But the wide experience of Christian 
men ministering on many a battle field bears universal testi- 
mony that Mr. Moody was right. No dying soldier was ever 



YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 89 

enabled to rejoice in a sure hope of eternal life, except 
through faith in the crucified Redeemer. 

In the presence of men whose names were already entered 
on the roll call of death, with but a few hours or moments to 
live, Mr. Moody was to learn, under the teaching of the Holy 
Ghost, how most effectively and speedily to point their 
anxious hearts, their longing eyes unto the Lamb of God that 
taketh away the sins of the world. His addresses often con- 
tain allusions to scenes of army life, and among them occurs 
this 

STORY OF A DYING SOLDIER. 

"After one of our terrible battles — I was in the army, at- 
tending soldiers — I had just lain down one night, past mid- 
night, to get a little rest, when a man came and told me that 
a wounded soldier wanted to see me. I went to the dying 
man. He said, 'I wish you to help me to die!' I said: 'I 
would help you to die if I could. I would take you on my 
shoulders and carry you into the kingdom of God, if I could, 
but I cannot. I can tell you of one that can.' And I told 
him of Christ being willing to save him; and how Christ left 
heaven and came into the world to seek and to save that 
which was lost. I just quoted promise after promise, but all 
was dark, and it almost seemed as if the shades of death were 
gathering around his soul. I could not leave him, and at last 
I thought of the third chapter of John, and I said to him: 
'Look here, I am going to read to you now a conversation 
that Christ had with a man that went to him when he was in 
your state of mind, and inquired what he was to do to be 
saved.' I just read that conversation to the dying man, and 
he lay there with his eyes riveted upon me, and every word 
seemed to be going home to his heart, which was open to 
receive the truth. 

"When I came to the verse where it says: 'As Moses lifted 
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of 
man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not 



90 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

perish, but have eternal life,' the dying man cried: 'Stop, sir, 
is that there?' 'Yes, it is all here.' Then he said, 'Won't you 
please read it to me again?' I read it the second time. The 
dying man brought his hands together, and he said: 'Bless 
God for that! Won't you please read it to me again?' I 
read through the whole chapter, but long before the end of 
it he had closed his eyes. He seemed to lose all interest in 
the rest of the chapter, and when I got through it his arms 
were folded on his breast. He had a sweet smile on his face; 
remorse and despair had fled away. His lips were quivering, 
and I leant over him, and heard him faintly whisper from his 
dying lips: 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 
even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever 
believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.' He 
opened his eyes and fixed his calm, deathly look on me, and 
said, 4 that is enough! that is all I want.' And he pillowed 
his dying head upon the trust of those two verses, and in a 
few hours rode away on one of the Savior's chariots and took 
his seat in the Kingdom of God." 

One of the Christian Commissioners gives the following 
instance of another kind of 

ANSWER TO PRAYER. 

"A party of our men found themselves one night on a bat- 
tlefield, in charge of a great many wounded soldiers, who, 
by reason of the sudden retreat of the army, were left wholly 
without shelter or supplies. Having done their best for the 
poor fellows — bringing them water from a distant brook, and 
searching the haversacks of the dead for rations — they be- 
gan to say to themselves, and to one another, 'These weak 
and wounded men must have food, or they will die. The army 
is out of reach, and there is no village for many miles; what 
are we to do?' 'Pray to God to send us bread,' said one. 

"That night, in the midst of the dead and dying, they held 
a little prayer meeting, telling the Lord all about the case, and 
begging Him to send them bread immediately; though from 



YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 91 

whence it could come they had not the most remote idea. All 
night long they plied their work of mercy. With the first 
ray of dawn the sound of an approaching wagon caught their 
ears, and presently, through the mists of the morning, ap- 
peared a great Dutch farm wagon, piled to the very top with 
loaves of bread. On their asking the driver where he came 
from, and who sent him, he replied: 

"When I went to bed last night I knew that the army was 
gone, and I could not sleep for thinking of the poor fellows 
who always have to stay behind. Something seemed to say 
to me, 'What will those poor fellows do for something to eat?' 
It came to me so strong that I waked up my old wife, and 
told her what was the matter. We had only a little bread in 
the house, and while my wife was making some more I took 
my team and went around to all my neighbors, making them 
get up and give me all the bread in their houses, telling them 
it was for the wounded soldiers on the battlefield. When 1 
got home my wagon was full; my old wife piled her baking on 
the top, and I started off to bring the bread to the boys, feel- 
ing just as if the Lord Himself were sending me.' " 

Is it any wonder that men who were working so constantly 
amid such scenes, and with such experiences as these, should 
have become bold to claim the promises? Any wonder that 
they seemed to come into terms of holy intimacy with God, 
and pleaded with the Lord as with a most personal friend? Is 
it strange that their faith in the simple words of the gospel oi 
the grace of God should increase mightily, as they saw so 
many precious souls go sweeping through the gates in glo- 
rious triumph? 

As reports of these wonders of grace wrought in the field 
and camp, were made by Mr. Moody and his co-laborers on 
their return from frequent excursions to the front, the Chica- 
go noon-day prayer meetings became intensely interesting. 
They became in fact the very heart and center of the religious 
life of the whole northwest. Requests for prayer came pour- 



92 DWIGHT L. MO'ODY. 

ing in by the thousands, followed by tidings of gracious an- 
swers received, and sometimes with gifts of money and sup- 
plies for helping on the work of the Commission. 
While Mr. Moody was often among 

THE FIRST TO THE FRONT 

after such battles as those at Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, 
Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, his greatest works were being 
carried on in Chicago. His North Market Mission, the Chris- 
tian Association, and Camp Douglas — now transformed into 
a prison for captured rebels — divided his time, but only multi- 
plied his energies and devotion. 

A great revival under Moody's preaching took place 
among the ten thousand prisoners confined there. Meetings 
were held every afternoon and evening, and great excitement 
was produced throughout the city. The tidings went far and 
wide. These boys in gray became brothers in Christ, and 
"when their time came to be exchanged, they went to their 
southern homes thanking God for their bonds, in which His 
servants had found them, and where they, though prisoners of 
war, had found peace and liberty in the Savior/' 

Mr. Moody was privileged to enter Richmond with the 
army of General Grant, and many of the scenes he there wit- 
nessed have been used to illustrate the work of Christ as a de- 
liverer. We can not more fittingly close this chapter than by 
giving the following incident as he was wont to relate it: 

"We had been in Richmond but a few hours before I heard 
that the colored people were going to have 

A PUBLIC MEETING 

down in the great African church that night, and I thought to 
myself, although I am a white man, I will get in there some- 
how. I had a hard fight to get in, but I did succeed at last. 
It was probably the largest church in the south. There were 
supposed to be three or four thousand black people there, and 
they had some chaplains of our northern regiments for their 



YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 93 

orators on the occasion. Talk about eloquence! I never 
heard better. It seemed as if they were raised up for the 
occasion. I remember one of them, as he stood there on the 
platform, pointed down to the mothers and said: 'Mothers, 
you rejoice to-day that you are forever free, all your posterity 
is free; that little child has been taken from your bosom and 
sold to some distant state for the last time.' And some of 
those women shouted right out in meeting, 'Glory to God!' 
They couldn't keep the good news to themselves. They be- 
lieved they were delivered. They believed the good news. 

"Then this man turned to the young men and said: 'Young 
men, rejoice to-day! It is a day of jubilee, a day of glad tid- 
ings. We come to proclaim to you that you are free. You 
have heard the crack of the slave-traders' whip for the last 
time.' And they shouted and clapped their hands, and said, 
'Glory to God.' Then he turned to the young women and said: 
'Rejoice to-day! You have been on the auction block and sold 
into captivity for the last time.' And then they clapped their 
hands and shouted for joy. It was a jubilee. What made 
them so glad? They believed they were liberated and that is 
what made them so joyful. People want to know why Chris- 
tians are so joyful. It is because they have been delivered 
from the power of Satan." 




s 



Builds His First Church. 

HOSE four long years of dreadful war were also 
years of great spiritual power over all the land. 
There was scarcely a group of soldier boys from 
the country cross roads, or company from the 
town, or regiment from the city, that did not start 
as it were from beneath the very shadow of the cross. What 
earnest, living words were spoken in those last services; 
words of warning and entreaty, words of inspiration and hope; 
and mingling with the suppressed sobs of wives and mothers, 
and gaspings for breath on the part of strong men, were the 
closing words of prayer commending the departing soldiers 
to the loving care and the great mercy of God. The coldest, 
hardest hearts would grow tender, and eyes unused to weep 
would fill with tears as the compassion and love of God were 
invoked for those who were suffering in prison or In hospital, 
in camp or on the field; and men who forgot to pray for them- 
selves, would respond with earnest and sincere, though silent, 
"Amens." By the side of every preacher of the gospel to 

"BOYS IN BLUE," OR "BOYS IN GRAY," 

death seemed to stand, pointing with skeleton finger to the 
yawning graves on every battlefield, and saying, "Do thou 
shoot God's arrows and I'll shoot mine." What was to be 
done had to be done quickly and tenderly; and for that work, 
as we have seen, hundreds of Christian men and Christian 
women had gone forth in the name and in the strength of the 
Lord Jesus. 

Mr. Moody often used to say that he would much rather 
get ten men to work than to do the work of ten men; yet in 
all his herculean labors among and for the soldiers, he was not 
only doing the work of ten men, but was also inspiring and 
directing the labors of hundreds more, while with all his mar- 



BUILDS HIS FIRST CHURCH. 95 

velous and untiring energy he thus wrought — happiest when 
he had the most to do — Mr. Moody had not lost the power 
of his first love. His North Market Mission still occupied the 
first place in his thought and life. 

Beneath the overshadowing presence of God, which was 
felt throughout the land, special blessings attended the work 
on the North Side. The school had crowded hard the capa- 
city of the North Market Hall, and in the very midst of the 
war, 1862-3, Mr. Moody set to work to raise money to build 
A MISSION CHAPEL. 

In 1863 a very commodious building was erected not far 
from the old market on Illinois street, at a cost of about 
$20,000. The regular attendance at the school was now 
something like one thousand, with about a thousand others 
passing through it every year. Among these there was a 
large nucleus for a permanent congregation. Between three 
and four hundred persons had become converted, and needed 
pastoral oversight. They needed also the training and de- 
velopment of Christian character, which can only be gained 
under the discipline and responsibilities of a regular church 
organization. 

The history during the last forty years of the rise, growth 
and permanent usefulness of Mission schools proves the wis- 
dom of the decision to which Mr. Moody was led or driven 
by the very logic of events. A strong hint of the purposes 
of Providence may always be found in the very nature of 
things — and in the nature of people, as well. There was no 
place for the Mission converts in the regular congregations 
which were to be found in that district. Though the doors 
might swing open to them and a true Christly spirit might 
welcome them, these poorly clad and ignorant people couldn't 
feel at home among strangers. Then, the style of preaching, 
however true to the spirit of the gospel, was away out of 
their reach. They had not been brought up in the church, 
had not been born in any regular way, but, like Topsy, they 



96 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

had just "growed" out of the ground, out of slime pits. And 
no pastor with two sermons and a weekly lecture to prepare 
for a critical, fastidious city congregation, could possibly give 
these people that personal oversight, care, sympathy and 
help which were so much needed in the development of the 
religious life of these missioners of religion. 

They knew nothing but the life of the Mission. They had 
grown up in poverty and ignorance and were slowly growing 
up into something better. But where they had received their 
first impulses unto a better life, where first they had learned 
to trust in Jesus Christ as a Savior, that place was, and that 
place alone, could ever be, to them a "home." And so the 
development of 

AN ORGANIZED CHURCH 

out of the unorganized mass of humanity forming the school, 
was in the nature of a divine evolution. No one knew so well 
as Mr. Moody the conditions of life out of which these hun- 
dreds of converts had come into the knowledge and love of 
God. None knew so well their spiritual needs, and upon the 
heart of no one else did such a burden of responsibility rest 
for their future welfare. Hence, after much careful consid- 
eration on the part of those most deeply interested, and with 
prayer for divine guidance, the conviction gradually grew 
clearer that, for the spiritual growth and larger life of these 
converts, a church should be organized within the mission 
itself. Acting on this conviction, Mr. Moody invited all the 
city ministers of his acquaintance, and prominent laymen 
with whom he had been associated in Christian work in city, 
camp or field, to meet in council at the Illinois Street Chapel 
for the purpose of organizing a church. There was a large 
attendance, and most of the evangelical denominations were 
represented, and after prayer, Mr. Moody arose and present- 
ed the business for which he had called them together. He 
gave a rapid sketch of the rise of the mission, of the great 
success which had attended it in bringing sinners to Christ. 



BUILDS HIS FIRST CHURCH. 97 

Then he stated the difficulties in the way of persuading these 
converts to unite with other churches; hence the necessity of 
an organization of these believers into an orderly and regular 
church, in which the ordinances of the gospel might be cele- 
brated, and of which he might be the recognized pastor, that 
so the work of the Lord might be carried on with increasing 
power. As he proceeded to state the case it became increas- 
ingly evident that many of the common forms would not suit 
their case at all. It would be amusing, were it not such a 
serious matter, to notice how quickly the brethren began to 
make excuses. His near neighbor and friend, the rector of 
an Episcopal church felt obliged to withdraw from the coun- 
cil, which he could not officially recognize, though expressing 
his great pleasure in the good work being done. 

A good Baptist brother could not assist in the work of the 
council because Mr. Moody had not gone down into the water 
nor come up out of the water, but was satisfied with the ordi- 
nance as administered by Dr. Kirk, after the fashion suggest- 
ed in the text, "I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye 
shall be clean." A Presbyterian divine expressed his sympa- 
thy with the work, but was sorry that he could only assist in 
the organization of a Presbyterian church. 

A Methodist pastor, a fast friend and fellow worker, was 
sorry that these good people could not be organized into a 
Methodist church, with class meetings, love feasts, quarterly 
meetings and camp meetings — all of which seemed so well 
suited to their spiritual needs. 

But Mr. Moody held to some of the strong points of Cal- 
vinism, nor could he be persuaded to join Conference, nor did 
he propose an itinerant ministry for his church, though he 
was a great traveler himself. Only the Congregationalists 
were left and on their simple polity the believers were organ- 
ized into the "Illinois Street Church." This was their all- 
inclusive idea of a church, that they were a company of saved 
sinners, that Mr. Moody was their pastor, and Jesus Christ 
7 



9 8 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

was head over all. The candidates were then examined, the 
ordinance of baptism administered at the hands of the minis- 
try present, and then with tears and songs of joy they cele- 
brated together their first communion. 

This church, though thus organized, has never been reck- 
oned a Congregational Church. Mr. Moody never received 
any other ordination than that of providence and the spirit 
of God; nor has his name ever been published in the minutes 
of that or any other religious body. After the great fire a 
new and very commodious church was built on another street, 
hence its name, "The Chicago Avenue Church," though 
popularly known to this day as "Moody's Church." 

It may be a matter of interest to our readers to have their 
"Articles of Faith" reprinted, as a statement of the 
things most commonly believed, and that only in the 
very words of scripture, furnishing thus a basis of doc- 
trinal union in which all who love our Lord Jesus Christ can 
entirely agree, though they may never agree in forms of wor- 
ship or church polity. 

ARTICLES OF FAITH. 

"i. We believe in the only true God (John 17:3), the 
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:19), who cre- 
ated all things (Rev. 4:11) and upholds all things by the word 
of His power (Heb. 1 13); in whom we live, and move and have 
our being (Acts 17:28). A God of truth, and without iniquity, 
just and right is He (Deut. 32:4) and He shall judge the 
world (Ps. 9:8). 

"2. We believe all scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be 
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3: 
16, 17). 

"3. We believe that by one man sin entered into the world, 
and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that 
all have sinned (Rom. 5:12) and judgment came upon all men 



BUILDS HIS FIRST CHURCH. 99 

to condemnation (Rom. 5:18). For the wages of sin is 
death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ 
our Lord (Rom. 6:23). 

"4. We believe that there is none other name under heaven 
given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12); for 
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is 
Jesus Christ (I Cor. 3:11). We also believe that Christ died 
for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was 
buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the 
scriptures (I Cor. 15:3-4.) and sat down on the right hand of 
the Majesty on high (Heb. 1 13) now to appear in the presence 
of God for us (Heb. 9:24). 

"5. We believe God so loved the world that He gave His 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16); and he that 
believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth 
not the record that God gave of His Son, and this is the 
record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and that this 
life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he 
that hath not the Son of God hath not life (I John 5:10-12). 

"6. We believe that Christ, the head over all things to the 
church (Eph. 1.22), hath comanded us to baptize in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matt. 
28:19); and that the same night in which He was betrayed He 
took bread; and when He had given thanks He brake it, and 
said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you; this 
do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He 
took the cup when He had supped saying, This cup is the 
New Testament in my blood. This do ye as oft as ye drink it, 
in remembrance of Me; for as -often as ye eat this bread and 
drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come (I 
Cor. 11:23-26). 

"In accepting and subscribing to the above articles of faith, 
we by no means set aside or undervalue any of the scriptures 
of the Old and New Testament, but believe all to be equally 



ioo DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

God's own written word, given to us through the inspiration 
Of the Holy Spirit; but the knowledge and belief of the truth, 
as stated in our articles of faith, we deem necessary to salva- 
tion and sound doctrine, and thereby requisite for Christian 
fellowship." 

To this church and its great school Mr. Moody gave the 
most of his time and energy, though calls for his services to 
attend revivals and conventions were becoming very frequent 
and urgent. The interest and attendance increased rapidly 
in the new church. The secret of Mr. Moody's success was 
largely in his 

WONDERFUL POWERS OF LEADERSHIP. 

All the members had something definite to do. It is said that 
the bell in the first church building rang out every night in 
the year for some kind of a religious service. There were 
meetings of all sorts and for everybody: for mothers, and 
men, and strangers, and boys, and girls; Bible meetings; 
gospel meetings, and on Sunday the services were in an al- 
most continuous series from early till late, and Mr. Moody 
tried to look in on all of them. 

He believed every Christian had a work to do and he was 
trying to help people find out what they could do. 

Mr. Moody once speaking on this subject, said: "God has a 
niche for every one of His children. Happy the man or 
woman who has found his or her place. A great many men 
want to do big things. That is the mistake I made when I 
started out. I wanted to preach to intelligent people, but I 
found the people didn't like to hear me. So I began with 
the children. They liked to hear me, and I got along very 
well. I grew right up along with them. But it was years 
before I could talk profitably to grown people. I talked to 
the children and it was a grand school. It was the prepara- 
tion I needed. That was my theological seminary." 

At Northfield he was once asked how to start 



BUILDS HIS FIRST CHURCH. 101 

A COTTAGE PRAYER MEETING. 
"The way we used to do in Chicago," he said, "was this: 
We would go around from house to house till we found a 
woman who was willing to have a meeting in her house — it 
might be an unconverted woman. It takes a good deal of 
moral courage for any woman to have a meeting in her house, 
where all the people in the street know her, but if you get her 
consent, ask the neighbors to come in — a great many people 
who won't go to a church will go to a cottage prayer meet- 
ing. Some of the best hours I have spent in my life were in 
the cottage meetings. If I have had any success, that is 
where I learned to preach. Get twenty or thirty mothers 
together with their children. Read a portion of scripture. 
Get the children to sing; it will always interest a mother to 
hear her child sing, even if it doesn't sing as well as Mr. San- 
key. Talk comforting words to the mothers. I tell you 
what: I'd rather a thousand times talk to these mothers than 
to Gospel hardened sinners. When a young mother is just 
beginning to feel her responsibility, it isn't very difficult to 
reach her heart." 

AS A PASTOR 

Mr. Moody knew all his people and all his people felt acquaint- 
ed with him. Everybody in the district knew the number of 
his little modest frame cottage. Like Job he could say, "The 
blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and 
I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy." 

Mr. Hitchcock, a superintendent in his Sabbath school, has 
given an account of two hundred calls which Mr. Moody made 
one New Year's Day. A carefully prepared list of resi- 
dences had been made, many of the families living in garrets 
or in upper stories in tenement houses: 

"At an early hour the omnibus which was to take him and 
several gentlemen on their rounds was at the door. On 
reaching a family belonging to his congregation, he would 
leap out of the 'bus, spring up the stairways, rush into the 



102 . DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

room, and pay his respects as follows: 'You know me; I am 
Moody. This is Deacon DeGolyer, this is Deacon Thane, 
this is Brother Hitchcock. Are you all well? Do you all 
come to church and Sunday school? Have you all the coal 
you need for the winter? Let us pray.' And Mr. Moody 
would offer ten or twenty words of tender, earnest supplica- 
tion that God would bless the man, his wife, and each one of 
the children. Then, springing to his feet, he would dash on 
his hat, dart through the doorway, and down the stairs, throw- 
ing a hearty 'good-bye' behind him, leap into the 'bus and off 
to the next place on the list; the entire exercise occupying 
about a minute and a half." 

We are not surprised that long before the day was done 
the horses gave out, as Mr. Moody insisted on their going on 
a run — and then they proceeded on foot. One after another 
his companions gave out and returned to his house as best 
they could, while the tireless pastor finished this long list of 
calls alone, and then returned home in the highest spirits, 
and with no sense of fatigue, to laugh at his exhausted com- 
panions for deserting him. 

Mr. Moody always liked to have scripture mottoes decorat- 
ing the walls of the church and the Sunday school rooms. The 
story is a familiar one that the gas burners above the pulpit 
were arranged to spell out in great letters of light, the pre- 
cious words, 

"GOD IS LOVE." 

"One Sunday night in winter a poor, shivering fellow was 
passing the place, and seeing the vestibule door open, went 
in to shelter himself from the cold. The inner door was ajar, 
and being curious to see for once the inside of a place of wor- 
ship, he looked cautiously in. The strange light above the 
pulpit caught his eye and fastened his attention, and the holy 
words burned themselves into his heart. He entered the 
meeting, gave himself to Christ, was soon happily converted, 
and became a useful member of Mr. Moody's church." 



BUILDS HIS FIRST CHURCH. 103 

We can easily understand how Mr. Moody's relations to 
his church were of the closest and most tender character. 
Most of the members of it had been won to Christ by his own 
ministry. Many of them had been verily plucked as brands 
from the burning, had been drawn up from many a pit of sin. 
Many had been rescued from utmost poverty and degrada- 
tion. How could they love him enough? Is it any wonder 
that for his sake they would toil, and even suffer if need be 
for him who had brought them out of darkness into the light 
and liberty, and joy and fellowship of the children of God? 
How willingly, under his inspiriting admonitions did they 
themselves strive also to become soul winners! 

Thus the church was brought up to a high degree of prac- 
tical efficiency. Many of those wild lads were growing up to 
be useful men, well trained in the Bible and helpful in carry- 
ing on various kinds of religious services. Among the dea- 
cons and leading members were quite a number of very accep- 
table preachers, who, during his absences from home, were 
quite well able to conduct the regular services. But for a 
long time he made it a point to get back for his own work on 
the Sabbath. 

In an address delivered at Northfield on "Enduement for 
Service" there is a reference to this period of his ministry: 

"It is important to know whether the work we are doing 
is the work God would have us do. I remember that at one 
time when Dr. Kirk came to Chicago, his old power came 
back upon him, and he just shook that city as I had never 
seen it shaken. I suppose if he had stayed, there would have 
been thousands and thousands converted. The mayor of 
the city and the leading men all came to hear him, and they 
said, 'If we could have that kind of preaching we would be 
glad to hear it.' But he went back to his pastoral work. I 
believe that man was meant for an evangelist; yet he went 
back to visit the widow and the fatherless. That was an 
important work, but others could have done it. Some men 



io 4 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

are gifted one way and some another. One man has got 
gifts as a pastor, and another has got gifts as an evangelist, 
while another is specially qualified to stir up Christians. Let 
every one ask 

AM I IN THE RIGHT PLACE? 

Am I where God wants me to be? If we would do that, it 
might break up a good many pastorates. Are you ready — 
ready to cut the ties? 

"When I was in Chicago I used to take a circuit out in the 
country and preach during the week-evenings; but I think I 
made a great mistake in binding myself too closely to my 
regular work. There was time after time when there would 
be a hundred inquirers in the country and yet I would hurry 
away so as to preach in my own place in the city on Sunday 
night, and then perhaps only find myself beating against the 
air. Let us be ready to go anywhere — to go everywhere the 
Master calls. If you want this power for service, God will 
give it to you. Just say: 'Here I am, Lord; send me where 
you please, only give me souls. Give me power to win souls 
for Jesus Christ.' When that is the uppermost thought in our 
hearts He won't disappoint us." 



3m£ 



Farwell Hall. 

IV^ S WE study the various sketches of the life and la- 
^tl bors of Mr. Moody, or recall the last twenty-five 
\jg)W y ears °f most marvelous success in everything 
▼" ■ he has undertaken in the ministry of the gospel, 
in the service of humanity, we are astonished be- 
yond measure. But when we consider that this man made 
it his entire business to serve the Lord, why should we be 
astonished? At the very beginning of his wider ministry he 
has revealed to us one factor in his great success: "The men 
who have been successful are not those who work by fits and 
starts, but three hundred and sixty-five days in the year. By 
the grace of God, these eighteen years I have been kept work- 
ing for God. People complain of how cold other people are; 
that is a sign that they are cold themselves. Keep your own 
heart warm, as if there were no other but you in the world. 
Keep working all the time, at steady, constant work. For the 
last eleven years I have not let' a day pass without saying 
something to somebody of Christ. Make it a rule that never 
a day pass without speaking for Christ. People won't like 
it. If you are a living witness for Christ it makes people mad 
against you. The man that is popular with the world is not 
a friend to Jesus Christ. You can not serve two masters. 
The world hates Christ, and if you are a friend of the world, 
you can not be a friend of His. You may be sure that some- 
thing is wrong with you when everybody is your friend. 
Every man here can win souls for Christ." 

The five years from 1866 to 1871 were years of tremen- 
dous energy and enterprise. The greater blessings attend- 
ing the building of the Illinois Street Church, with its vastly 
increased facilities for Christian work, made Mr. Moody very 
eager. to have a new building erected for the Christian Asso- 
ciation work. The rooms they were then occupying were 
greatly overcrowded and entirely inadequate for the new 



106 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

work that he was inaugurating. We have heard of a certain 
dark closet under a stairway used generally for the storage 
of wood and coal that was the only place he could find for pri- 
vate prayer in the Methodist Church block. Their noon- 
day meetings were thronged. A great work of salvation 
was being carried on, and many were being turned away, 
when Mr. Moody and two other young friends entered into a 
written covenant to pray unceasingly for a new building. 

Some said: "The only way for us to obtain a new building 
is to elect Mr. Moody 

PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION." 

It went very much against the grain with many of the more 
wealthy, cultured and conservative members among both the 
clergy and the laity to think of having such a blunt, unlearned 
man as Moody elected as head of the most prominent Asso- 
ciation in all the country. The electioneering was very ex- 
citing, but the friends of Mr. Moody won out by a few votes 
and he was elected president. At once a building committee 
was appointed, of which Mr. John V. Farwell was chairman. 
A stock company was formed to hold the building in trust 
Certificates were issued to bear six per cent, interest from 
date of the completion of the edifice. The rentals of stores 
and offices were expected to pay interest and expenses and 
afford a surplus of $10,000 or $15,000, annually, with which 
to buy in the stock. "But so large a portion of the building 
was to be devoted to religious uses that subscription to its 
stock had a sweet savor of Christian liberality. It might 
possibly pay for itself. But probably the investment would 
bring larger returns in heaven than on earth." The placing 
of over $100,000 of this stock was the great financial success 
of Mr. Moody's life. The name and fame of his splendid edi- 
fice, with a hall large enough to seat three thousand people, 
were widely known throughout the Christian public of the 
English speaking world. 

On Sunday evening, September 29th, 1867, this spacious 



FARWELL HALL. 107 

hall crowded with a vast assembly, was opened and dedicated 
to the worship and service of Almighty God. From the 
address delivered by President Moody — the only title, I be- 
lieve that he ever honored by wearing — we cull but a brief 
extract or two : 

"If there is one thing more than another for which Chicago 
is distinguished, it is the rapidity of its growth in size, wealth 
and in the extent of its trade. But of the great and swift suc- 
cesses which have come to us, none is more striking than 
that of the Young Men's Christian Asosciation. 

"During the last month, while we have been getting in 
sight of the end, many a man has said to me, 'Don't get 
proud.' That is good advice. I feel, more than anything 
else, and more than ever before, that Jesus has accomplished 
this great result for us. And for this wonderful blessing I 
want you all to praise Him. 

"A few years ago this Association was growing weaker 
and weaker, and at one time it came very near dying. Those 
who organized it made the mistake of supposing that if they 
opened some rooms, and gave notice of meetings to be held 
in them, sinners would come there of their own accord to 
be saved. But they were not long in finding out that if they 
would save the lost they must search for them in the by-ways 
and dark places, where they are hidden away from the light 
of Christ and His gospel. 

"Then we began to go out and bring them in. That was just 
what Christ told us to do. And now, because we have obeyed 
Him and gone to work in His way, Christ has helped us to 
build this hall. 

"But it seems to me the Association has just commenced 
its work. There are those indeed, who say we have reached 
the limit of our power. But we must rally round the cross; 
we must attack and capture the whole city for Christ. 

"When I see young men, by thousands, going in the way to 
death, I feel like falling at the feet of Jesus, and crying out to 



108 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Him with prayers and tears to come and save them, and to 
help us to bring them to Him. 

"His answer to our prayers and His blessing on our work, 
give me faith to believe that a mighty influence is yet to go 
out from us, that shall extend through this country, and 
every country in the state, through every state in the Union, 
and finally, crossing the waters, shall help to bring the whole 
world to God. 

"We must ask for money, money, more money at every 
meeting; not for the support of the Association as it now is, 
but to enlarge its operations. We want to build homes for 
young men and for young women, mission schools, Magdalen 
asylums, as well as places of resort for innocent amusement 
and mental and social culture; so that there may be no excuse 
for our young people being caught in the traps which Satan 
sets for them all over the city." 

Standing on that platform and gazing upon the sea of glad 
and shining faces, rejoicing together in what God had wrought 
through them, it is little wonder that he looked out on the fu- 
ture and longed to see the greater glory of God. Grander than 
that vision splendid that rose before his ardent imagination 
have been the magnificent results of a thirty years' service 
since that blessed hour. He was permitted with his friend and 
co-laborer, Mr. Sankey, and other helpers, to carry on the 
most extensive evangelistic labors that ever mortal man has 
accomplished. He was permitted to girdle the globe with 
his enthusiastic and successful ministries. He rejoiced to see 
rising on the hills of Northfield and Mount Hermon schools 
for the Christian training of thousands of earnest-hearted 
young men and women, and in the heart of Chicago a splen- 
did church and Bible institute for the salvation and education 
of thousands more. The Lord poured into his hands gold by 
the hundreds of thousands of dollars that these early visions 
and desires of his soul might come to glorious fruition. It 
was as if the Master had said: "The world shall have one ex- 



FARWELL HALL. 109 

ample given to it of what one talent may amount to during a 
single man's life time when put out to usury." 

After a most eloquent address, Mr. Farwell presented his 
report as treasurer, from which it appears that the cost of the 
entire plant and equipment was only one thousand dollars 
short of an even $200,000; and a little later Mr. George H. 
Stuart, of Philadelphia, was introduced to that most enthusi- 
astic audience. As president of the United States Christian 
Commission no man living could have been more welcome, as 
certainly none was more loved and honored, for his magni- 
ficent management and consummate leadership of that Com- 
mission during the war. It was while engaged in that work 
that he had first met Mr. Moody, and had come to value his 
sterling worth and enthusiastic devotion as a Christian work- 
er. Mr. Stuart began his speech by saying that he had trav- 
eled over eight hundred miles expressly to be present at the 
dedication of the first hall ever erected for Christian young 
men. He described the origin of the Young Men's Christian 
Association in 1844 * n London in meetings for prayer held in 
the private room of Mr. George Williams, a clerk in a mercan- 
tile house, situated in St. Paul's churchyard. 

"The Chicago Young Men's Christian Association was re- 
vival born. It was among the first in existence. It was also 
among the earliest and most successful missionary organiza- 
tions brought into use in connection with the war. God has 
•been with you. You have had the 'God bless you' of thous- 
ands of soldiers, and now that the war is over, untold thous- 
and's of sinners out of Christ wait for your peaceful ministry 
in his name. * * * 

"And now with the hope of youth and the vigor of manhood 
your Association commences a new and splendid career, 
blessed with the confidence of all branches of the Christian 
church. Therefore, inscribe upon your banners the words of 
the heroic missionary, Carey: 'Attempt great things for God 
and expect great things from God.' " 



no DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Near the close of the service, Mr. Moody rose and said: 
"It was the generous subscription of thirty thousand dol- 
lars by the chairman of our building committee, which pur- 
chased this land and gave us at the outset a good hope of all 
we see to-night. Now, by way of giving honor to whom hon- 
or is due, I propose that we name this building 
FARWELL HALL. 

All in favor say 'Aye.' " With a glad, tumultuous shout, the 
hall was christened. We may imagine but not describe the 
enthusiasm that marked the services of that memorable eve- 
ning. What volumes of praise, what solemn words of thanks- 
giving and of supplication! What tears of gladness, with re- 
newal of vows! What an overshadowing of the divine pres* 
ence rewarding and encouraging their faith! 

As we strive to realize something of what all that meant for 
the spiritual and material welfare of the multitudes in that 
great, bustling, driving city of Chicago, let us not forget to 
thank God for the energy, courage, devotion and zeal of that 
young man, just passing thirty years of age, who was the vital- 
izing force and unifying power that made Farwell Hall a pos- 
sibility — Dwight L. Moody. 

That we are not saying too much is proved by a most re- 
markable testimonial of the confidence of the Christian minis- 
ters and the members of the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion, when they voted to give over the entire direction of the 
meetings in Farwell Hall to Mr. Moody, the president of the 
Association. Who could have believed it possible that the 
humble clerk in a shoe store, who but twelve short years be- 
fore was gathering ragged, dirty vagabonds off the streets into 
a deserted shanty and reading to them stories of the gospel 
by the light of a few tallow candles, should now have placed at 
his free disposal one of the finest halls in America, and the 
most completely equipped establishment in which to carry on 
Christian work that could be found in the whole world? 

Never was Christian layman so honored before — yet it did 



FARWELL HALL. in 

not seem to kindle any spark of selfish pride; but it did give 
his ceaseless ambition wider spheres of service. 

The noon prayer meetings, under his impetuous leader- 
ship often filled the smaller hall with its thousand chairs, and 
on special occasions the great hall was used. He was not 
above doing any Christian work that he asked anybody else 
to do. To the man who began seeking lost sinners on "The 
Sands" there was nothing beneath him. To him who could 
go among the saloons and from the street corners capture a 
dozen roughs and take them with a rush into his evening ser- 
vices in the "Chicago Avenue Church," it was an easy thing to 
stand on the sidewalk and invite men to "go right up to the 
noon prayer meeting." 

STRANGERS' MEETINGS IN FARWELL HALL. 

He organized a meeting on Monday evenings especially 
for strangers, of which he gave a vivid description to the 
young men of Edinburgh, in telling them how great need 
there is of sympathy if one would reach the hearts of men. He 
said: 

"Some men have courage, perseverance and zeal, but their 
hearts are as cold as an icicle. Christ might have been born 
in a palace had He chosen, but poor men would have said He 
had not come for them; but He was born in a manger, lower 
than their own rank in life. The minister who speaks to peo- 
ple as if he were separate from them, that tells them what they 
should do, this and that, will not carry them with him. To 
speak to men from a higher platform is not the way to do them 
good. It should be what we do — we poor sinners and you. 
The milk of human kindness is a great element in bringing 
souls to Christ. 

"We have in Chicago a meeting for strangers; and it is 
most blessed. Every Monday night, seventy-five to a hun- 
dred young men newly arrived in the city, assemble to find 
friends. A young man coming from the country to a situation 



112 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

or to college in town, feels very lonely. He walks the streets 
and has no one of all the crowds to speak to him, and he is 
miserable. That is the time when his heart is softest; then, if 
any one speaks to him, or shows him acts of kindness, he 
never forgets it. 

"The devil watches for friendless youths like these; and the 
ensnaring paths of vice seem refuges from loneliness. Such 
a young man, walking along the street, sees a big brown paper 
pasted on a boarding, or at a railway station, or somewhere 
else, having painted on it, 'Strangers' meeting to-night. All 
strangers invited to attend/ So he goes, and meets a kind 
look and words of friendship, and it is better to him than any- 
thing in the world. 

"During our war there was a southern man who came over 
to a Wisconsin regiment, saying he could not fight to uphold 
slavery. Sometime after, the mail from the north came in, 
and all the men got letters from their relations, and universal 
joy prevailed. This southern man said he wished he were 
dead; he was most unhappy, for there were no letters for him. 
His mother was dead, and his father and brothers would have 
shot him if they could, for going against them. This man's 
tent-mate was very sorry for his friend, and when he wrote to 
his mother in Wisconsin, he just told her all about it. 

"His mother sat down and wrote to her son's friend. She 
called him her son, and spoke to him like a mother. She told 
him, when the war was over, that he must come to her, and 
that her home would be his. When the letter reached the regi- 
ment, the chaplain took it down to where this man was stand- 
ing and told him it was for him; but he had no friends; it must 
be for some one else. He was persuaded to open it, and when 
he read it he felt such joy he went down the lines saying 
'I've got a mother.' When afterwards the regiment was dis- 
banded, and the men were returning to their homes, there 
was none who showed so much anxiety as this man to get to 
his mother in Wisconsin. There are hundreds of young men 



FARWELL HALL. 113 

who want mothers, and any kindness done to them will not 
lose its reward." 

It is said that the intensity of the feeling under the burning 
words of Mr. Moody was such that at the close there was a 
great burst of applause commencing, which Mr. Moody 
checked by quietly lifting his hand, and saying: "We don't 
want applause; and mind, it's Sunday." 

We have already quoted the sentence, "If you are a living 
witness for Christ it makes people mad against you." And 
perhaps no man ever made more people mad by his eager, 
blunt manner than Mr. Moody; but how often a blessing fol- 
lowed, as the following incident will show: 

"You must stop your impertinence," said one of his friends 
to him, one day. "You narrowly escaped a beating from a 
man whom you asked in the street whether he were a Christian 
or no. He said he would have slapped you in the face if he 
had not remembered you were a non-combatant." 

"Do you remember his name?" inquired Mr. Moody. It 
was given him. "Have you seen him within a few days?" "No." 
"Well," said Mr. Moody, triumphantly, "that man has come 
to be one of my very best friends. He was baptized and join- 
ed the church last Sunday; and he dates his first serious feel- 
ings from that impertinent question of mine." 

In these direct appeals to strangers he was accustomed to 
act from impulse which he believed was given him by the Spirit 
of the Lord. One who knew him most intimately said 
of him: 

"He seems always to be carried along on a sea of inspira- 
tion. He passes his life tossing on its waves where he is as 
perfectly at home as the stormy petrel on the ocean." But 
"to every man his work," was one of his favorite sayings. 

Mr. Moody was an incessant student of the Bible. For 
years he rose at five o'clock that he might have a few hours of 
prayerful study of the Word, before beginning the arduous 
labors of the day, while before the noon-day meetings he 

a 



ii4 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

generally spent a half-hour in prayer before going down to 
the sidewalk to invite men to come in. 

It is narrated of him that one day a merchant from a dis- 
tant city was passing along a street in Chicago when he was 
suddenly stopped by a person whom he had never seen before, 
who, placing his hand upon his arm, and looking him full in 
tHe face, startled him by the question, "Do you belong to 
Christ?" For a moment he was too much astonished to re- 
ply, but at length, remembering that he was in the neighbor- 
hood of Farwell Hall, a smile broke over his face, and looking 
kindly upon his questioner, he replied, "You must be Moody." 
And so it was. 

In at least this one thing Mr. Moody obeyed the injunction 
of the great apostle, "Be instant in season and out of season." 

I have no doubt Mr. Moody made a great many mistakes 
and sometimes he stumbled; but it always seemed as if he 
stumbled towards Christ. Mr. Reynolds, a lifelong friend, 
narrated the following incident told him by a Christian bro- 
ther: 

"I shall always remember Mr. Moody," said he, "for he was 
the means of bringing me to Christ. I was in a railway train 
one day, when a stout, cheery looking stranger came in and 
sat down on the seat beside me. We were passing through a 
beautiful country, to which he called my attention, saying, 

" 'Did you ever think what a good heavenly Father we have, 
to give us such a pleasant world to live in?' I made some in- 
different answer, upon which he earnestly inquired: 'Are you a 
Christian?' I answered 'No/ 'Then,' said he, 'you ought 
to be at once. I am to get off at the next station, but if you 
will kneel down right here, I will pray the Lord to make you 
a Christian.' 

"Scarcely knowing what I did, I knelt down beside him 
there, in the car filled with passengers, and he prayed for me 
with all his heart. Just then the train drew up at the station 
and he had only time to get off before it started again. Sud- 



FARWELL HALL. 115 

denly coming to myself, out of what seemed more like a dream 
than a reality, I rushed out on the car platform, and shouted 
after him, 'Tell me who you are!' He replied, 'My name is 
Moody.' I never could shake off the conviction which took 
hold of me, until the prayer of that strange man was answered 
and I had become a Christian man." 

With the same impetuous zeal he would sometimes walk up 
and down the aisles in Farwell Hall scanning the faces of the 
congregation for tokens of the Spirit's strivings; and when he 
noticed a thoughtful or penitent looking person he would go 
right to him and say, "Are you a Christian?" If the answer 
was at all doubtful he would quickly say, "Do you want to be 
saved? Do you want to be saved now? Let us pray," and 
the half-penitent soul and Christians about would fall on their 
knees while Mr. Moody prayed for him and the man would 
find himself, as it were, pushed head foremost into the king- 
dom of heaven. Mr Moody soon came into great prominence 
throughout the central west and northwest as the organizer 
of Christian Associations, teaching men out of his twelve or 
fifteen years' experience in Chicago, how to plunge into the 
rapids of sin down which sinners were sweeping, to rescue 
them from destruction. 

He insisted that they must go out and seek the lost, seek 
everywhere in the courts and alleys, in highways and byways, 
in saloons, gambling dens, and brothels, if by any means they 
might save some. 

But scarcely were all the agencies centering in Farwell Hall 
brought into highest state of efficiency before by fire in Jan- 
uary, 1868, it was suddenly, totally destroyed. The financial 
loss was very great, as it was but partially insured; yet almost 
before the ruins were cold, new plans for a finer hall still were 
well under way. Mr. Moody and Mr. Farwell were both 
pledged to this great enterprise. 

Many of the old stockholders rallied nobly to their help; 
oew ones were solicited, and, in another year, a second Far- 



n6 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

well Hall, grander than the first, arose on the same founda- 
tions. 

One of the special means of reaching and retaining the 
hearts of the poor was through 

THE RELIEF DEPARTMENT 
of the Association as administered by Mr. Moody. It was 
said of him that he never gave away a pair of trousers, or pair 
of shoes, or a load of wood or pound of sugar or tea without 
an earnest exhortation or prayer; and on all posssible occa- 
sions the recipients were urged to give their hearts to Christ, 
and attend the prayer meetings in Farwell Hall. The poor in 
all parts of the city, as well as in the district about his church, 
came to know Mr. Moody, and would run after him, some- 
times to ask assistance, very often to express their gratitude 
and love. If any one praised his charity he would say, "Don't 
praise me, but if you love me, love Christ for my sake." 

While tender hearted and full of sympathy with those in 
distress, he dispensed relief to them as he did to the wounded 
soldiers on the battlefields, not primarily for the sake of com- 
forting their bodies, but with the hope of saving their souls. 
This was the consuming passion of his soul — recognized and 
felt and acknowledged to be such by Christian friends and 
men of the world — without cant or pride or self righteousness, 
or slightest measure of self-seeking, and this fact gave him 
access to the hearts and pocket books of rich men, whom no 
other man could reach. 

The four years during which Mr. Moody was president of 
the Association were years of great spiritual power. His 
Sunday services were most remarkable. Beginning the day 
with a Sabbath morning sermon in his church, he devoted the 
afternoon almost entirely to his great mission school, and after 
meetings. The climax came in the evening at Farwell Hall, 
where he generally repeated his morning sermon, though with 
endlessly varied applications and illustrations. With a single 
exception this was the largest Protestant congregation in 



FARWELL HALL. -It? 

Chicago, and was always followed by inquiry meetings in the 
smaller hall, where many members who had been trained in 
his church proved most efficient helpers. 

Farwell Hall, with the finest audience room in the city, be- 
came the great religious center of Chicago. Great religious 
campaigns were organized in it, and great revivals swept out 
from it. During all those years the leading, organizing, di- 
recting spirit, the man whose presence was felt down through 
the minutest details of all its multiplied agencies for good, was 
this same humble, earnest, devoted, wonderful worker and 
growing preacher — Dwight L. Moody. 





Finds a Larger Sphere. 

FTER twelve years of such diversified and indefa- 
tigable labors, there was probably no man then liv- 
ing who could more wisely answer the question of 
Christendom, "How shall we reach the masses?" 
And especially was this true in his experience in 
building up his great mission school. 

Mr. Moody, feeling his lack of all the wisdom of the schools, 
sought his instructions directly from the Lord. "If any man 
lack wisdom let him ask of God* * * * and it shall be given 
him." And his simple faith had been so honored that in spite 
of his headlong and impetuous manner, he was listened to with 
greatest respect and had gradually come to be a master 
among men. His work had been so greatly blessed that his 
presence was eagerly sought by the Sunday school conven- 
tions of the various counties and especially at the great state 
conventions. Mr. Moody, Mr. Jacobs, and Major Whittle, 
were widely known as the Chicago Trio, and were the closest 
companions on many of these tours. 

Mr. Moody felt it to be his special mission to bring the con- 
vention itself under the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ 
and the power of the Holy Spirit. In these meetings there 
were the beginnings of a new life for him — he was finding out 
the hiding place of divine power. The wonderful results were 
seen in the great meetings held at Springfield in 1865. These 
brethren laid their plans carefully and prayerfully for making 
this convention one of great spiritual power. They went down 
three or four clays before the date of the convention, ar- 
riving on a Saturday. The churches were thrown open to 
them, the afternoon service resulting in the awakening of 
seventy persons. The revival meetings continued right through 
the week, with about two hundred professed conversions. The 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 119 

sessions of the convention were made glorious by the pres- 
ence of the Holy Spirit. All hearts were thrilled by the 

POWER FROM ON HIGH 
and the delegates went down as from Pentecost to carry the 
holy fire to their own churches and schools. Revivals were 
kindled everywhere and the reports brought up to the next 
convention revealed the glorious news that about ten thous- 
and conversions were directly traceable to the Pentecostal 
baptism of the previous year.. These reports kindled such 
enthusiasm that the convention arranged through county 
committees for the visitation of every district in the state in 
the interest of Sunday schools. These visitations were followed 
by county conventions throughout all the southern part of the 
state, conducted by Mr. Moody and Mr. Reynolds of Peoria. 

The progress of these brethren was one long series of re- 
vivals. The interest increased continually as the news swept 
over the towns like a prairie fire. There were camp meetings, 
field preaching, street preaching, preaching in churches, court 
houses, in public squares — preaching everywhere. Gallatin 
county reported that the number of conversions reached up- 
wards of six hundred. 

Hearing reports of the great blessings following these con- 
ventions and means of grace, the Young Men's Christian 
Association, of Boston, invited Mr. Moody to attend 
A GREAT SUNDAY SCHOOL MEETING 
at Tremont Temple, and explain the Illinois method. He ex- 
plained the character of their work and roused a good degree 
of enthusiasm, but the conservative brethren got the floor and 
raised so many objections and found so many lions in the way 
that they actually voted to postpone the whole matter for a 
year. But Mr. Moody was not to be easily defeated. The 
convention was about to adjourn — a complete failure — when 
he whispered to the chairman, ''Call another meeting this 
evening; tell the people I will speak." 

The temple was filled to hear the man who had been so com- 



126 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

pletely turned down in the afternoon. Mr. Moody had already 
proved himself a masterful man, full of resources and of pro- 
foundest convictions and with great power over popular audi- 
ences. He began cautiously with a thrilling description of his 
work at the North Market Mission; gave them incidents of the 
rescue of wharf-rats and gutter-snipes, discouraged men and 
fallen women redeemed, restored and becoming cultivated 
and honorable men and women, and when his audience had 
reached the point of intensest interest he turned the tide very 
skillfully, as follows: 

"Brethren and friends, I am not very much used to putting 
motions and bringing them back again after they have been 
voted down; but we must do something to correct that wrong 
vote this morning. Now, everybody in the house who is not 
satisfied with that vote, and wants to go to work at once and 
organize this state after the Illinois plan, let him stand on his 
teet, hold up his right hand and say 'Aye.' " 

As by a common impulse, the entire congregation rose to 
their feet and answered "Aye" in a shout so loud that before 
the close of the year its echoes were heard all over the old 
Bay state. 

Thus Mr. Moody went from Maine to California, from Chi- 
cago to Texas, St. Paul to New Orleans, year after year, or- 
ganizing and rousing up Young Men's Christian Associations, 
laboring in revivals, gaining wider experience and deeper 
training for the marvelous work across the sea, which the 
Lord held in store for him. 

The year 1871, however, was to prove in its far-reaching 
consequences one of the most eventful in all his life — 

AN EPOCH MAKING YEAR. 
In it he was to learn how to preach as he had never preached 
before, he was to find his Jonathan, to whom he would cleave 
during life, and he was to be swept by the great fire out on his 
world-wide mission. Heretofore his sermons had been chiefly 
made up out of his personal experience, of remarkable conver- 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 121 

sions, of rousing appeals to Christians and fervent calls to 
sinners to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
great power had accompanied the word. He was studying the 
Bible with utmost eagerness and feeding his soul on the rich 
and precious promises, but he was now to learn how to preach 
it, and he was himself to become one of the most successful 
Bible teachers of his age. 

It happened on this wise. Mr. Moody was about to leave 
on Saturday for some convention and in arranging for the 
Sabbath he said to his wife, "I have received a letter from 
Harry Moorhouse who calls himself 

THE BOY PREACHER' 

and he says he will preach for me if I wish it. It is too late 
to get any one else; and I suppose we must let him try it in 
the morning; but if he makes a failure you must tell the dea- 
cons to find some one else for evening." 

On his return he anxiously asked what sort of a preacher 
Harry Moorhouse had proved to be. 

"He is a wonderful preacher," was the reply. "On Sunday 
morning he preached from the text, 'God so loved the world 
that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth 
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' A crowd 
filled the church at night, when he took the same text again, 
and so wonderfully did he explain it that the deacons have 
asked him to preach every night this week." 

It was a week long to be remembered. Night after night 
he preached from the same text to immense congregations, 
until he made the love of God appear the central truth of the 
Bible. At the close of the last service he said: "If I were to 
die to-night and go up to heaven, and there meet Gabriel, who 
stands in the presence of God; and if I were to ask him how 
much God loves sinners, I think he would say: 'God so loved 
the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever 
believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.' ,: 

When the meetings were over, Mr. Moorhouse said to 



122 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Mr. Moody: "You are sailing on the wrong tack; if you will 
change your course and learn to preach God's words instead 
of your own, He will make you a great power for good." 

To Mr. Moody these words were as a revelation from 
heaven. He began to see that the word of the Lord giveth 
light. From this time on the exhortation of Paul to Timothy 
came home to him with tremendous force: 

"I charge thee, therefore, before God, and the Lord Jesus 
Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appear- 
ing and His kingdom: Preach the word." 

But how could he acquire such knowledge of the word? He 
had no time to study books; besides, he had no books to study. 

Mr. Moorhouse said, r 'You only need one book for the study 
of the Bible." 

Mr. Moody responded, "You must have studied a great 
many books to come by your knowledge of it." 

But the answer was, "No! Since I began to be an evangel- 
ist I have been a man of one book. If a text of scripture 
troubles me, I ask another text to explain it; and if this will 
not answer, I carry it straight to the Lord." 

Here was a new scheme of education for the pulpit. Every 
man his own theological seminary; the only text book the 
Bible; Christ and the Holy Spirit the faculty. In this school 
Mr. Moody thought he might become a scholar. Thirty 
years later we find that the Bible is the only text book in use 
in the Chicago Bible Institute. 

Mr. Moody was so much impressed by these remarks that 
he asked Mr. Moorhouse to show them how to study the 
Bible. At a meeting of fifty or sixty persons at Mr. Moody's 
house there was held the first "Bible reading" of which there 
is any record in America. 

Henceforth Mr. Moody became more than ever 

A MAN OF ONE BOOK. 
He had a very simple rule to govern him in his choice of read- 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 123 

ing matter: "I do not read any book unless it will help me to 
understand The Book." 

Besides the Bible Mr. Moody used constantly Cruden's 
Concordance and the compact Bible Text Book, issued by the 
American Tract Society as invaluable aids to trace a single 
word or doctrine through the various books. He has an- 
swered the question, "How am I to know the word of God?" 
as follows: "By studying it with the help of the Holy Ghost. 
As an American bishop said, not with the blue light of 
Presbyterianism, nor the red light of Methodism, nor the 
violet light of Episcopacy, but with the clear light of Calvary. 
We must study it on our knees in a teachable spirit. If we 
know our Bible, Satan will not have much power over us, and 
we will have the world under our feet. I think I have got the 
key to the study of the Bible: Take it up topically. Take 
'Love,' for instance, and spend a month in studying what the 
Bible says about love, from Genesis to Revelation. Then you 
will love everybody, whether they love you or not. In the 
same way take up 'Grace/ 'Faith/ 'Asurance/ 'Heaven/ and 
so on. When you study the Bible, be sure you hunt for some, 
thing. Spend six months studying Genesis; it is the key to 
the whole book; it speaks of death, resurrection, judgment — 
it is the seed-plant of the whole Bible. Read the same chap- 
ter over and over and over again, and don't leave it until you 
have understood it. About the twenty-eighth time you have 
read a chapter you will see the Man Christ Jesus, who is on 
every page of scripture. Here is another way: Take up one 
word in a book, such as the word 'believe' of St. John's gospel. 
Every chapter but two speaks of believing. Look up the nine- 
teen 'personal interviews' with Christ recorded in that gospel. 
Take the 'conversions' of the Bible. Take the seven "blesseds/ 
and the seven 'overcomes' of Revelation. If you want to get 
the best book on 'assurance' read I John, 3, and the six things 
there worth 'knowing.' Take up the five 'precious things' of 
Peter, or the 'verity's of John." 



124 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

The visit of that great English preacher, Rev. Dr. Punshon, 
was also a great blessing to him. The doctor preached for 
him in Farwell Hall several times. Among others he preached 
his great sermon on 

DANIEL IN BABYLON 

which took a vivid hold on Mr. Moody's imagination and 
showed him that the characters of the Bible were actual men 
and women, different from other men only in their perfect faith 
in God. 

During that whole summer Mr. Moody studied and 
preached the biographies of the Bible. One after another the 
old heroes of faith were called to rise before his vision and 
show themselves to his amazed and delighted congregations. 
Far and wide he preached those sermons and they have never 
lost their power. They have been published in many forms. 
It may be the more interesting to read a closing page or two 
of his sermon on Daniel now the inspiration of its writing is 
known. In that scene in which Mr. Moody describes the 
king coming in the early morning to the lion's den, approach- 
ing the very edge of the platform as he does so, and, in a 
voice trembling with fear and yet vibrant with hope, crying 
down through the mouth of the pit, "O, Daniel, servant of 
the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, 
able to deliver thee from the lions?" — in that scene, which 
one can never forget, one feels that his dramatic powers have 
reached their most thrilling climax. 

THE DELIVERANCE OF DANIEL. 

"There must have been great excitement throughout all 
the city of Babylon after the decree of the king had been pro- 
claimed. How jubilant were the enemies of Daniel! Their 
schemes had prospered. Daniel was as good as slain. He 
will never observe that command to call only on the name of 
the king. He will not even be prudent; he will not dissemble. 
He will surely be found at his windowj^pening towards Jeru-1 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 125 

salem. Rightly had they judged this Hebrew prophet. The 
lion's den had no terrors for him. He would rather be in the 
lion's den with God than on the throne itself without Him. 

"And yet he loved the king. In him he recognized a sov- 
ereign who had come to the kingdom through the overruling 
providence of God. He knew that his life was in danger 
through the malice of his enemies. The king had not meant 
to strike him to death. And so at the hours of prayer he 
stretched his hands out towards Jerusalem and prayed for the 
holy city, for the captive people, for speedy deliverance and 
restoration to their own land through the kindness of Darius 
the king. Uncertain as to the issue of the decree against 
himself, he may have prayed with greater fervor than usual, 
when the watchful spies spring out of their hiding places and 
rush off to the king, crying: 

" 'O Darius, live forever! Do you know there is a man in 
your kingdom who will not obey you?' 

" 'A man who won't obey me! Who is he?' 

" Why, that man Daniel. That Hebrew whom you set over 
us. He persists in calling upon his God.' 

"And the moment they mention the name of Daniel, a 
frown arises upon the king's brow;and the thought flashes into 
his mind: 'Ah! I have made a mistake; I ought never to have 
signed that decree. I might have known that Daniel would 
never 'call' upon me. I know very well whom he serves; he 
serves the God of his fathers.' So, instead of blaming Dan- 
iel he blames himself; instead of condemning Daniel he con- 
demns himself. And then he casts about in his mind as to 
how he could manage to preserve him unharmed. All that 
day, if you could have looked into the palace, you would have 
seen the king walking up and down the halls and corridors, 
greatly troubled with the thought that this man must lose his 
life before the sun sets on that Chaldean plain; for if Daniel 
were not in the lions' den by sundown the law of the Medes 



126 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

and Persians would be broken; and come what will, that law 
must be observed and kept. 

"Darius loved Daniel; and he sought in his heart to deliver 
him. All day he sought for some plan by which he might 
save Daniel, and yet preserve the Median law unbroken. But 
he did not love Daniel as much as your King loved you; he 
did not love him as much as Christ loved us; for if he had he 
would have proposed to have gone into the lions' den in his 
stead. Let us remember that Christ 'tasted death' for us. 
I can imagine those plotters having a suspicion as to the king's 
feelings; and saying to him, 'If you break the law which you 
yourself have made, respect for the laws of the Medes and 
Persians will be gone; your subjects will no longer obey you; 
and your kingdom will depart from you.' So Darius is at 
last compelled to give him up; and he speaks the word for the 
officers to seize him and take him to the den. And his enemies 
would take good care that the den is filled with the hungriest 
beasts in Babylon. 

"You might have seen those officers going out to bind that 
old man with the white flowing hair; they march to his dwell- 
ing; and they bind his hands together. And those Chaldean 
soldiers lead captive the man who a few hours before ranked 
next to the king; the noblest statesman Babylon had ever 
possessed. They guard him along the way that leads to the 
lions' den. Look at him as he is led along the streets. He 
treads with a firm and steady step, bearing himself like a con- 
queror. He trembles not. His. knees are firm; they do not 
smite together. The light of heaven shines in his calm face. 
And all heaven is interested in that aged man. Disgraced 
down here upon earth, he is the most popular man in heaven. 
Angels are delighted in him ; how they love him up there ! He 
had stood firm; he had not deviated; he had not turned away 
from the God of the Bible. And he walks with a giant's tread 
to the entrance of the lion's den; and they cast him in, They 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 127 

roll a great stone to the mouth of the den; and the king puts 
his seal upon it. And so the law is kept. 

"Daniel is cast into the den; but the angel of God flies down 
and God's servant lights unharmed at the bottom. The lions' 
mouths are stopped; they are as harmless as lambs. And if 
you could have looked into that den you would have found a 
man as calm as a summer evening. I do not doubt that at his 
wonted hour of prayer he knelt down as if he had been in his 
own chamber. And if he could get the points of the compass 
in that den he prayed with his face toward Jerusalem. He 
loved that city; he loved the temple; and probably with his 
face toward the city of Jerusalem, he prayed and gave thanks. 
And later on I can imagine him just laying his head on one of 
the lions, and going to sleep; and if that were so, no one in 
Babylon slept more sweetly than Daniel in the den of lions. 

"But there was one man in Babylon who had no rest that 
night. If you could have looked into the king's palace, you 
would have seen one man in great trouble. Darius did not 
have in his musicians to play to him that night. Away with 
music and singing! There was no feast that night; he could 
eat nothing. The servants brought him dainty food; but he 
had no appetite for it. He felt troubled; he could not sleep. 
He had put in that den of lions the best man in his kingdom; 
and he upbraided himself for it. He said to himself, 'How 
could I have been a party to such an act as that?' 

"And early in the morning — probably in the grey dawn, be- 
fore the sun has risen — the men of Babylon could have heard 
the wheels of the king's chariot rolling over the pavement; 
and King Darius might have been seen driving in hot haste 
to the lions' den. I see him alight from his chariot in eager 
haste, and hear him cry down through the mouth of the den: 
'O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou 
servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?' 

"Hark! a voice gives answer — why, it is like a resurrection 
voice — and from the depths come up to the king's ear the 



128 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

words of Daniel: 'O king, live for ever! My God hath sent 
His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not 
hurt me; forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in 
me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.' 

"The lions could not harm him. The very hairs of his head 
were numbered. I tell you, that whenever a man stands by 
God, God will stand by him. It was well for Daniel that he 
did not swerve. Oh, how his name shines! What a blessed 
character he was! 

"The king gives command that Daniel should be taken up 
out of the den. And, as he reaches the top, I fancy I see them 
embracing one another; and that then Daniel mounts the 
king's chariot and is driven back with him to the royal palace. 
There were two happy men in Babylon that morning. Most 
likely they sat down at meat together, thankful and rejoicing. 

" 'No manner of hurt was found upon him.' The God who 
had preserved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery 
furnace, so that 'no smell of fire had passed on them,' had 
preserved Daniel from the jaws of the lions. 

"But Daniel's accusers fared very differently. So to speak, 
they 'digged a pit for him; and are fallen into it themselves/ 
The king orders that Daniel's accusers shall be delivered to 
the same ordeal. And they were cast into the den, 'and the 
lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in 
pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.' 

"Young men, let us come out from the world; let us trample 
it under our feet; let us be true to God; let us stand in rank, 
and keep step, and fight boldly for our King! And our 
'crowning time' shall come by and by. Yes, the reward will 
come by and by; and then it may perhaps be said of one, or 
another, of us: 'O man, greatly beloved!' Young men, your 
moral character is more than money, mark that! It is worth 
more than the honor of the world; that is fleeting, and will 
soon be gone. It is worth more than earthly position; that is 
transient and will soon be gone. But to have God with you s 




Ira D. Sankey. 




Rev. F. B. Meyer. 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 129 

and to be with God — what a grand position! It is an eternal 
inheritance." 

To return to the narrative. Another of the great events in 
Mr. Moody's life in 1871 was his finding his Jonathan in the 
person of 

MR. IRA D. SANKEY 
the most effective gospel singer of the passing century, whose 
voice so long retained in a remarkable degree its sweetness, 
its pathos and its force. For almost thirty years he was Mr. 
Moody's companion and fellow-laborer in the gospel; his 
voice carrying the message into the very depths of many souls 
that had remained shut against the appeals of the preacher. 

It was in June, 1871, that Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. 
Sankey formed the partnership that made the names of 
Moody and Sankey household words the world over. No one 
knew the great evangelist so well as Mr. Sankey. He had 
worked with him, had come into the closest personal contact 
with him day after day and year after year. In speaking of 
Mr. Moody's wonderful work Mr. Sankey said: 

"When Dwight L. Moody died one of the greatest preachers 
of the century pased away. We labored together for almost 
thirty happy years. I followed him through life and I followed 
him on his last journey — to 'Round Top.' Death has for a 
time put a stop to our work together. Some day, some blessed 
day, in other worlds, perhaps, we will take it up again. 

"Our first meeting seemed an act of providence. Mr. 
Moody never sat down and folded his hands and waited for 
the Lord to bring about what he wanted. He did not believe 
in passive Christianity. So in this, as in every other, he went 
to work, trusting in the Lord for success. 

MEETING OF MOODY AND SANKEY. 

"We met at an International Convention of the Young Men's 
Christian Association in Indianapolis, Ind. I was at that 
time an assistant collecter of revenue at my old home in New 
Castle, Pa. Mr, Moody was just beginning to win a reputation 



130 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

as an evangelist in Chicago. I had been singing in religious 
meetings since I was a boy and doing considerable work in the 
church. But this was the way I spent my leisure hours. I 
was making a good salary and enjoyed my business too thor- 
oughly to think of giving it up and devoting my whole time 
to the work of an evangelist. 

"A few days after arriving in Indianapolis I learned that 
Mr. Moody, of whom I had heard but whom I had never seen, 
would conduct a prayer meeting at a certain small church. I 
determined to go, as I felt an almost uncontrollable desire to 
hear him. I arrived late and took a seat near the door. Scarce- 
ly was I seated when the Rev. Robert McMillen, whom I 
knew quite well, touched me on the elbow and asked me to 
sing something, as the singing so far had been very poor. I 
started in with that ever-popular old hymn: 

There is a fountain filled with blood 
Drawn from Immanuel's veins. 
The congregation joined heartily in the song. 

"At the close of the service Mr. McMillen invited me to go 
up and meet Mr. Moody. As I drew near he stepped for- 
ward, and, taking me by the hand, looked at me in that keen, 
piercing fashion of his, as if reading my very soul. Then he 
said abruptly, 'Where are you from?' 'Pennsylvania,' I re- 
plied. 'Are you married?' T am.' 'How many children 
have you?' 'Two.' 'What is your business?' T am a gov- 
ernment officer.' 'Well, you'll have to give it up!' 

"I was too astonished to make any reply, and he went on, as 
if the matter had already been decided: 'You are just the man 
for whom I have been looking the last eight years. You'll 
have to come with me to Chicago and help me in my work.' 

"No other instance in my long association with him better 
illustrates Mr. Moody's direct, terse, forceful way of doing 
things than this. I might just as well have given up and joined 
him then. I might have known I would have to do it. But I 
struggled against it. A fine position and a good salary were 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 131 

not to be relinquished at a moment's notice. Mr. Moody saw 
that I was not willing to consent to his plan, so he asked me 
if I would not join him in prayer about the matter. I told him 
I would, but I prayed that I might hold on to my office and my 
home. 

"The next day I got a card from Mr. Moody asking me to 
meet him at a certain street corner and sing for him at an open 
air meeting. I wrote on the same card, Til be there.' I 
was there on time. In a few minutes he came also. He didn't 
stop to speak, but walked into a store on the corner and bor- 
rowed a dry-goods box. He came out and rolled it to the 
edge of the sidewalk and asked me to sing. I did so, and a 
crowd began to collect around us. Mr. Moody got up on the 
box and began to preach — as I never heard any man preach 
before. His hearers were electrified. They hung on his 
every word. They were mostly workingmen, going home to 
their suppers. They forgot that they were tired and hungry. 
The crowd grew so dense around us that we had to close, and 
Mr. Moody said that he was going to hold another meeting at 
the Academy of Music. We started down the street, singing 
as we went. And the crowd, with their dinner pails, followed 
us, filling the main floor of the building, and again he spoke 
to the crowd of men of all classes with such power and pathos 
as moved hundreds to tears. He had but a few minutes to 
preach, and seeing that the convention was gathering to dis- 
cuss the question, 'How to Reach the Masses,' he closed with 
a very short prayer and dismissed the meeting. 

"The next step, several months later, was that Mr. Moody 
invited me to spend a week with him in Chicago. I went. 

"When the week was over I resigned my position and 
joined forces with him for our life work. The result will never 
be fully known. 

"Mr. Moody's simple, direct manner of work has often 
been described. His tremendous earnestness, his indomita- 
ble energy, his lovable personality, and above all and through 



132 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

all, his thorough goodness, won him the hearts of millions. 
No one could meet him without admiring him. No one could 
know him without loving him. The rich, the learned, the 
poor, the happy and the miserable — convicts shut in by iron 
bars and the great ones of earth — alike found that Mr. Moody 
had a message for each and every one of them. In 
England, Mr. Gladstone attended our meetings at the Agricul- 
tural Hall in London. John Bright was another great man 
who listened to Mr. Moody with the keenest pleasure. The 
Princess of Wales came often to our services at Her Majesty's 
Opera House in the Haymarket, and so did the Duchess of 
Sutherland. The Duchess of Teck, formerly Princess May, 
was also an attendant at our meetings. 

"We have often been asked to estimate the number of our 
converts. This is an impossibility. Mr. Moody always re- 
plied to this question: 'Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey never 
number their converts; God alone knows who were converted 
and who not.' One of the largest meetings we ever held 
was in Agricultural Hall, London, when we had 17,000 men 
present. In many places we filled halls holding from 10,000 
to 12,000 people. 

"Mr. Moody never tried to exalt himself — never thought 
of himself. He made no attempt at fine speeches or rhetori- 
cal phrasing. He once said: 'Christ talked in parables. Oh, 
how I wish I could talk in parables! I would if I knew enough.' 

"In 1879 Mr. Moody, who said that he had for some time 
been impressed with the idea of founding a school for those in 
the humbler walks of life £ established the Northfield Semi- 
nary. Here the discipline and influences are such as will 
give the best results in the development of character. In 1881 
he founded the Mount Hermon school for young men and 
boys. Then his unflagging energy caused him to turn his at- 
tention toward the need for similar institutions in the west, 
and in Chicago, by his untiring effort, he started the school 
known as the Bible Institute for Home and Foreign Missions. 



FINDS A LARGER SPHERE. 133 

Much of the money he collected went to the support of these 
institutions and for educational work of all kinds. 

"One of the greatest compliments to his preaching was 
that the sermon that would hold the rapt attention of the most 
intelligent of his congregation would also be listened to with 
the same eagerness by the children present. Any one — every 
one — understood what he said. His meaning was clear to 
every child; it was also convincing to the old. No other preach- 
er ever mastered this art — if anything connected with Mr. 
Moody may be called an art — of reaching the understanding 
of old and young at the same time. His simplicity of lan- 
guage was remarkable. The strong individuality of the man 
spoke out in every sentence. The beauty of his powerful na- 
ture shone in his works. 

"One of the reasons of his phenomenal success in bringing 
souls to God was that he believed absolutely, implicitly in the 
message he gave to men. His faith was the faith of a little, 
child. No higher criticisms, no doubts ever dimmed his faith 
in the word of God. To him it was the truth, and the whole 
truth. 

"Now the world grieves that one of the noblest souls of 
earth has passed beyond our ken. Our comfort lies in the 
fact that one day — 'when the mists have rolled away' — we will 
meet him again." 





The Great Chicago Fire. 

T was on the night of the eighth of October, 1871, and 

the day following that the fire-fiend came down upon 

the ill-fated city of Chicago. It cut through the very 

heart of the great city, swept across the river to the 

north, burned up more than 14,000 dwelling houses, 

left over 100,000 people homeless, most of them penniless, and 

having consumed nearly $200,000,000 worth of property and 

hundreds of lives, it was blown out over the lake and vanished. 

The city of Chicago is divided by the river and its branches 
into three principal divisions, North, South, and West. The 
north and south branches unite at a point not quite a mile from 
the lake shore, and flowing east to the lake form the boundary 
between the north and south divisions. The west division 
includes all lying to the west of either branch. From the lake 
shore, extending for miles up either branch was one contin- 
uous line of coal yards, lumber yards, grain elevators, factor* 
ies, warehouses and railroad buildings. Beyond these in the 
west division is a residence quarter. The "business quarter" 
in the south division contained practically all the wholesale 
mercantile establishments, splendid retail stores, public build- 
ings, such as post office, custom house, court house, city hall, 
two grand union depots, hotels, theatres, newspaper offices 
and all other great institutions to be found in the heart of a 
city. To the south of the business section was the most ele- 
gant residence district in the city. 

The north division, along the river, was occupied by stores 
and factories, above them the residence quarters extended to 
Lincoln Park. On a few streets and squares lying near, or 
parallel to the lake, were to be found the residences of the 
more wealthy business men, the rest of the district being 
densely populated by the humbler classes. 

The severest drought in many seasons was still prevailing 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 135 

at Chicago and throughout the northwest, and a very severe 
gale had for several days been blowing from the southwest. 
On Saturday night, October 7th, there had been a $1,000,000 
fire on the west side of the river along the south branch. It 
had been the grandest spectacle ever witnessed; but the 
rapidity with which the flames licked up that poor quarter 
made the people shudder as they saw to what dangers they 
might be exposed. But that fire had died out and no one 
dreamed of the horrors that awaited them. 

Whether the cackling of geese ever saved Rome or not, it 
is certain that the kicking over of a lamp by a vicious cow 
about nine o'clock on Sunday evening caused a more terrible 
conflagration than Nero rejoiced over when he saw Rome 
burning. If that poor Irishwoman had only milked that cow 
before dark, or if she hadn't milked her at all that night! — but 
the cow did kick over that miserable coal-oil lamp, and the 
funeral pyre of Chicago's early splendor was fatefully kindled. 
By the time the alarm could be sounded three or four tinder- 
boxes were on fire, and in five minutes the miserable houses 
of that western district were blazing like a huge bonfire. The 
fire department were on the ground in a few minutes, but they 
might as well have been in Alaska, as their engines were 
swiftly caught in the flames and left to destruction. 

The fire flew on the wings of the gale until it reached the 
edge of the district burned over Saturday night, and then with 
a wild howl of fiendish delight the flames spanned the river on 
a whirlwind's arch and the fate of the city was sealed. 

The Fire-Fiend — we wish there were a more terrible name 
— the Fire-Fiend, with hair of streaming flame rushed straight 
through the heart of the splendid commercial quarter, while 
from either hand fire-brands were flung far on either side, 
kindling fires that swept along a path a mile wide and an hour 
in the rear. The rookeries were burned like match boxes, 
but could not these magnificent "fire-proof" buildings of iron, 
granite and marble, the superior of which at that time did not 



136 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

exist in the land, could not these withstand the whirlwind of 
flame? Vain hope! Before this blast of seven-fold heated 
flame and rain of blazing fire brands everything went down. 
At one o'clock the Chamber of Commerce was attacked and 
yielded as in a moment. The court house was next seized 
upon, the hundred and fifty prisoners in the basement being 
released from a doom as fearful as a Nebuchadnezzar's fur- 
nace — but it did not surrender till three o'clock, when the 
great bell gave way, pealing forth as it fell, a farewell dying 
groan. 

Only to a Chicagoan perhaps, does it matter that we recall 
how swiftly fell Hooley's Opera House, the Times Building, or 
Crosby's magnificent opera house, which was to have been 
opened that very night. The flames lingered awhile to whet 
their fury against the seven-storied, marble fronted Sherman 
House, and the Tremont House. The magnificent trade pal- 
aces of Field, Leiter & Co., of J. V. Farwell & Co., Carson 
Pirie & Co., and many others, involving a $10,000,000 loss 
soon disappeared in the flames. The isolated and "fire-proof" 
post office, with some two millions of treasure in its vaults also 
fell an easy prey to the fierce storm. 

The belated right wing of the fiery demon now came sweep- 
ing up, gutting the Michigan Southern Depot, and the Grand 
Pacific Hotel, reaching out to Wabash and Michigan avenues, 
leveling the First and Second Presbyterian Churches, the 
Trinity (Episcopal), Church, also the palatial "Terrace Row" 
of residences. Soon it joined the central path of the storm 
and the destruction of the "business quarter" was complete. 
Only one large brick building, with iron shutters, near the 
river, came out of this seething furnace and tornado of fire 
and remained a monument of the past. The destruction in 
the south division was finished. The greatest suffering was 
yet to fall on the north side. 

Thousands of the people were gathered on the streets lead- 
ing to the bridges across the river, watching the fearful specta- 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 137 

cle of the burning city. Up until two A. M. the bridges were 
still in use, but the showers of falling fire made the streets 
along the river impassable. Terrified, however, by the roar of 
the conflagration and the fear that it might leap the river, the 
entire population seemed to be aroused. Lights were seen in 
all the houses, swift moving figures could be seen in the rooms. 
Everywhere people were carrying goods out of their houses, 
when suddenly it was shouted through the streets that the 
water works were on fire. They were situated about a mile 
from the river; yet the fire-brands had been hurled with deadly 
strategy upon the engine house and the water supply would 
soon be cut off. 

To their horror the people now found themselves suddenly 
surrounded by fire. There was at once a stampede for life — 
to the eastward, to the sands of the lake shore; to the west- 
ward, to the prairies, if they could reach them. But we will 
let an eye-witness describe the scene: 

"Besides its foothold at the water works, from which the fire 
spread rapidly in every direction, it soon made a landing in 
two of the elevators near the river, and organized an advance 
which consumed every thing left by the scores of separate ir- 
ruptions which the flames were constantly making in unex- 
pected places. This was the system by which the north divi- 
sion was wiped out; blazing brands and scorching heat sent 
ahead to kindle many scattering fires, and the grand general 
conflagration following up and finishing up. Within the limits 
marked by the fire lines, nothing was spared; not any of the 
elegant residences of the patricians — not even those isolated 
by acres of pleasure grounds; not even the "fire-proof" His- 
torical Hall, with its thousand precious relics; not even the 
stone churches of Robert Collyer and the Rev. Mr. Chamber- 
lain, protected by a park in front; not even the cemetery to the 
north, whither many people removed a few of their most 
necessary effects, only to see them consumed before their 
eyes; not even Lincoln Park, whose scattering oaks were 



138 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

burned to dismal pollards by the all-consuming flames; noth- 
ing but one lone house, the residence of Mahlon Ogden, 
which now stands as the sole survivor of the scourged dis- 
trict. The loss of life and the sufferings of those who man- 
aged to escape with life were severest in this quarter of the 
city. Only at the lake and the northern limits of the city was 
the conflagration stayed — or, rather, spent — for the lack of 
any thing to consume. 

"The sensations conveyed to the spectator of this unparal- 
leled event, either through the eye, the ear, or other senses or 
sympathies, can not be adequately described, and any attempt 
to do it but shows the poverty of language. As a spectacle, 
it was beyond doubt the grandest as well as most appalling 
ever offered to mortal eyes. From any elevated standpoint, 
the appearance was that of a vast ocean of flame, sweeping in 
mile-long billows and breakers over the doomed city. A 
square of substantial buildings would be submerged by it like 
a child's tiny heap of sand on the beach of a lake; and when 
the flood receded, there was no more left of the stately block 
than of the tiny sand-heap." 

It was in the north division that the fatalities were the most 
numerous and shocking. There, especially in the quarter ad- 
joining the river and north of Chicago avenue, which was 
thickly covered with the cottages of the poor, the flames ran 
along as fast as a man could walk, and, what was worse, was 
constantly leaping to new points, both due forward and later- 
ally, and propagating itself faster than its victims could possi- 
bly flee before it, even if they had not attempted to save any 
of their goods. It was in this way that the monster devoured 
hundreds with his fiery breath. Within three blocks of Chi- 
cago avenue, on an area of not more than forty acres, there 
were found the bodies of forty-five poor creatures, none of 
which were recognizable, but which were undoubtedly the 
German and Scandinavian people inhabiting that quarter. The 
rapidity of the flames alone, however, would not have caused 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 139 

the destruction of so many lives, but for the combination of 
other circumstances which worked fatally. There was a gen- 
eral hegira across all the bridges leading to the west side. 
Chicago avenue wag»the best of the thoroughfares tending in 
this direction. Through this the people poured like the moun- 
tain torrent through its too narrow gorge. All at once, when 
the fiercest blast of the monster furnace had begun to sweep 
through this section with heat which threatened death to 
thousands, it was discovered that the bridge was for the time 
impassable. The people were rushing, tumbling, storming 
toward it in terribly irresistible numbers. Those who were 
nearest the burning bridge could not turn back because of 
the pressure of the frantic multitude. They attempted to 
make a stand by passing along the word to beat back the on- 
surging mass of men, and women and horses and wagons. 
But the task was simply impossible, as at the rearmost the 
crowd were now fairly lashed by the flames and could not stop. 
Whether the foremost hundreds would or not, they were 
forced to turn to the northward and attempt to escape through 
the burning streets to North avenue, half a mile further north, 
where was another bridge. Into the vortex of flame they 
plunge — may heaven send them guidance through it! Out 
from that vortex of flame some two-score of them never 
emerge. Alas! they knew not that those streets had no out- 
lets over the river for some three hundreds yards or more. 
But for the fact that most of the streets were "thorough- 
fares," leading out to the prairies and fields to the west and 
north, that fearful fire sweeping over the three miles of resi- 
dences in barely six hours would have mown down the people 
by the thousands. 

THE NIGHT AFTER THE FIRE. 

All day Monday the fire raged through the north division — 
but its progress was watched with dazed eyes. The fierce 
struggles of the night and early morning were over. Hope 



140 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

and fear alike had died out and only the apathy of despair was 
left, and dumb endurance. The thousands who had escaped 
into Lincoln Park were comparatively happy as at least there 
was no more danger from fire and there*was room to rest. 

But among the multitudes caught on The Sands between the 
river and the lake the sufferings at times were intense. The 
people were pent up in their uncomfortable prison, surrounded 
on the west and north by walls of living flame, that sometimes 
the blasts of terrible fire would sweep in upon them driving 
them far out into the lake, where they would submerge them- 
selves to their necks, and being compelled to keep their heads 
drenched as the only protection against the scorching air and 
showers of fire brands. Here mothers stood, holding babes 
in their arms, and liable at any moment of panic among those 
still on the shore of being pushed beyond their depth. In- 
deed, it was reported that a number were drowned in this way. 

On The Sands w r ere also a great number of horses that had 
escaped or been taken from their stables, and the women and 
children were in constant terror of being trampled to death in 
their wild fury. Worse even than these were the human brutes 
— the vilest of the vile — who had broken into the saloons as 
they had fled, and had taken great quantities of liquor with 
them. These men and women made the night, as the day, 
hideous with their howlings and curses, their carousals and 
their fightings until they sank in beastly drunkenness on the 
beach. 

Hunger now began to add its torments to those which the 
fear of death, anxiety for missing relatives and friends, and 
the continued exposure were inflicting upon them. None of 
these fugitives had tasted food since early Sunday evening, 
so that Monday night, although less fearful and exciting than 
Sunday, was one of greater suffering. Chilled by the water, 
yet blistered by the heat, exhausted by hunger and almost 
crazed with fear — what a horrible night they passed! Outlet 
there was none, help there was none, hope there was none, ex- 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 141 

cept that their vitality might endure until this fierce whirlwind 
of flaming fire should have exhausted its pitiless wrath. 

Fearful as had been the devastation of the fire it had not 
consumed the energy nor daunted the spirit of Chicago's 
great business men. From a city in New York came a tele- 
gram from Mr. Potter Palmer that rang out in clarion tones: 
"I will rebuild all my buildings at once. Put on an extra force 
and hurry up the hotel." Within a few days he telegraphed 
the New York merchants: "The mercantile firms with which I 
am connected, either as special or general partner, will pay 
in full at maturity." 

We have only space for brief extracts from the Chicago 
Tribune, which on Wednesday gave a twelve column account 
of the fire and sounded out a rousing call for every man in 
Chicago to do his duty. 

CHEER UP. 

"In the midst of a calamity without parallel in the world's 
history, looking upon the ashes of thirty years' accumulations, 
the people of this once beautiful city have resolved that Chica- 
go shall rise again! 

"With woe on every hand, with death in many strange 
places, with two or three hundred millions of our hard earned 
property swept away in a few hours, the hearts of our men 
and women are still brave, and they look into the future with 
undaunted hearts. As there has never been such a calamity, 
so has there never been such cheerful fortitude in the face of 
desolation and ruin. 

"Thanks to the blessed charity of the good people of the 
United States, we shall not suffer from hunger or nakedness 
in this trying time. Hundreds of train-loads of provisions are 
coming forward to us with all speed from every quarter, from 
Maine to Omaha. Some have already arrived — more will 
reach us before these words are printed. Three-fourths of 
our inhabited area is still saved. The water supply will be 



142 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

speedily renewed. Steam fire engines from a dozen neighbor- 
ing cities have already arrived, and more are on their way. It 
seems impossible that any further progress should be made by 
the flames, or that any new fire should break out that would 
not be instantly extinguished. 

"Already contracts have been made for rebuilding some 
of the burned blocks, and the clearing away of the debris will 
commence to-day, if the heat is so far subdued that the 
charred material can be handled. Field, Leiter & Co. and 
John V. Farwell & Co., will recommence business to day. 
The money and securities in all the banks are safe. The rail- 
roads are working with all their energies to bring us out of 
our affliction. The three hundred millions of capital invested 
in these roads is bound to see us through. They have been 
built with special reference to a great commercial mart at 
this place, and they can not fail to sustain us. Chicago must 
rise again. 

"We do not belittle the calamity that has befallen us. The 
world has probably never seen the like of it — certainly not 
since Moscow burned. But the forces of nature, no less than 
the forces of reason require that the exchanges of a great re- 
gion should be conducted here. Ten, twenty years may be 
required to reconstruct our fair city, but the capital to rebuild 
it fire proof will be forthcoming. The losses we have suffered 
must be borne; but the place, the time, and the men are here, 
to commence at the bottom and work up again; not at the 
bottom, either, for we have credit in every land, and the ex- 
perience of one upbuilding of Chicago to help us. Let us all 
cheer up, save what is yet left, and we shall come out all right. 
The Christian world is coming to our relief. The worst is 
already over. In a few days more all the dangers will be past, 
and we can resume the battle of life with Christian faith and 
western grit. Let us all cheer up!" 

THE RELIEF WORK IN CHICAGO. 

In this hour of direst calamity, there was, fortunately, a Re- 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 143 

lief and Aid Society already in existence most admirably 
adapted to care for the tens of thousands of distressed and 
homeless people. It was an incorporated institution and in 
its directory were some of the very best men in the city, Mr. 
George M. Pullman being the treasurer. To this society on 
Friday following the fire, the mayor intrusted the entire work 
of relief. 

From a report made by the Chicago Relief and Aid Society 
on November 7th, scarcely four weeks after the fire, we learn 
that the contributions received amounted to the handsome 
sum of $2,051,023.55; that already over 4000 small houses of 
two rooms had been erected to shelter the homeless, con- 
taining the cook-stove, bed, table and necessary crockery — at 
a total cost of only $1 10 each. 

It was intended to build about 7000 more, and thus over 
50,000 of the homeless would be housed for the winter. At that 
date some 60,000 persons were being fed daily. A committee 
sent from Philadelphia, of which Mr. George H. Stuart was 
chairman, visited Chicago the second week after the fire and 
reported that the work of the society was being carried on in 
the most systematic and careful manner and was worthy of the 
utmost support of a generous public. 

In this whirlwind of fire Mr. Moody witnessed the 

DESTRUCTION OF FARWELL HALL 

and the church so dear to his heart, the scene of most precious 
revivals. His own cottage home, and the dwellings of most 
of his members, were all consumed to ashes, with nothing 
saved but what they could carry in their hands. His family, 
also, had to flee for their lives, and, as Mr. Moody said, he 
saved nothing but his reputation and his Bible. 

From the site of the Illinois Street Church in every direc- 
tion as far as the eye could reach only ruins could be seen. 
The relief department of the Young Men's Christian Asocia- 
tion became one of the chief depositories of food and clothing 



144 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

and these Mr. Moody with his usual lavish generosity, delight- 
ed to distribute to all the ragged, hungry and homeless ones 
who applied. Complaint being made that many unworthy 
persons were making spoils out of these supplies, he turned 
the work over to the Relief and Aid Society, and started east 
to hold religious meetings and solicit means to rebuild his 
church. Mr. Sankey meanwhile returned to his family in 
Pennsylvania and resumed his convention work. 

In Brooklyn Mr. Moody found a hearty welcome extended 
to him by Rev. Dr. Cuyler and a new mission chapel was put 
at his disposal. It was but a few days before the power of 
the Lord fell upon the congregations and a great revival broke 
out which reached into the home church, and multitudes were 
asking, "What must I do to be saved?" From Brooklyn Mr. 
Moody went to Philadelphia, where a still more hearty wel- 
come awaited him at the hands of Mr. George H. Stuart, who 
had then returned from his visit to Chicago. He had become 
specially interested in the work of that great school of a thous- 
and children who were now left shelterless. 

"Those who knew what Mr. Moody had done for Chicago 
felt that in the rebuilding of the city that church and Sabbath 
school must not be left out. An appeal signed by Mr. Buch- 
er, Dr. Hall, John Wanamaker and others, including myself, 
was issued to the Christian public asking for contributions for 
this purpose. I was designated treasurer." Thus writes Mr. 
Stuart. But finding that the contributions were coming in 
very slowly they said one day: "Mr. Moody, how much mon- 
ey do you need?" "If I had a thousand dollars I could build 
a great box that would hold my Sunday school," was the reply. 
"You shall have three thousand at least," they answered, and 
they kept their word. 

A lot was purchased at the corner of Chicago avenue and 
LaSalle street, one hundred and nine feet by seventy-five; and 
as his subscription list kept increasing, he urged the brethren 
to build large. He had faith for the future. Thus by the 




Prof. Henry Drummond. 




Rev. G. Campbell Morgan. Copyright 1900 by F. Gutekunst. 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 145 

gifts of his friends and the free labor of his impoverished con- 
gregation, a great enclosure of rough boards was erected, cov- 
ering the entire lot and looking like a street-car stable, with its 
flat gravel and tar roof, supported by lines of posts and beams. 
But the best thing about it was that it would hold lots of peo- 
ple. As it neared completion Mr. Moody returned to Chica- 
go, telegraphed Mr. Sankey to come at once, and the day for 
the opening of the school was fixed. But where were his scat- 
tered flock to come from? Only a few buildings were in sight, 
except here and there some of the small dwellings erected by 
the Relief Society; and the friends somewhat anxiously looked 
out over the blackened and ruined district. To their joy and 
surprise the children began to gather in crowds as if springing 
out of every heap of rubbish and half-filled cellar, and some 
from miles away to the west. And the house — the barn — was 
filled with a crowd of a thousand children, many of the par- 
ents coming with them. Once more the church becomes a 
mission and 

THE NEW TABERNACLE 
becomes a greater blessing than the old North Market Hall. 

Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey at once took up their lodg- 
ings in one of the class rooms, with a faithful teacher in the 
Sunday school as steward, cook and man-of-all-work. The 
building was kept warm night and day, and was always open 
to any hungry, homeless wanderers who might choose to 
enter. It was also a depot of supplies and provisions and 
these were now at his own hand for distribution. A hungry 
man was always more than welcome at his table in the class- 
room. On Sundays the services must have been a very feast 
of tabernacles, of thanksgiving, and praise for blessings spir- 
itual and temporal, as the following program for the day will 
show: 

Nine o'clock — The Lord's Supper. Half-past ten — Preach- 
ing by Mr. Moody. After service — Dinner in the class room 
with the teachers, and conversation on the day's lessons. 
10 



146 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Three o'clock — Sunday school, Mr. Moody superintending. 
After school — Teachers' prayer meeting, led by Mr. Moody; 
then supper in the class room. After supper — Yoke-fellows' 
prayer meeting. Half-past seven — Preaching by Mr. Moody. 
After service — Inquiry meeting, lasting as long as there were 
any inquirers needing counsel. 

During several months of 1871 Mr. Moody had passed 
through a terrible struggle of soul with respect to himself and 
his work. One great torment of his soul was the thought 
that he was such an ignorant man. He used to weep and 
pray in an agony in his closet. He was constantly begging 
his friends to pray for him. Having made the acquaintance of 
two aged women who were remarkable for their lives of faith 
in spite of great affliction, he used to go to them like a broken- 
hearted boy and ask them to teach him how to trust wholly in 
God. At last the answer came in 

A NEW BAPTISM 

and an entire consecration in the sunshine of faith that knew 
no shadow of doubt. He once spoke of this struggle in a 
prayer meeting talk in New York City, saying: 

"About four years ago I got into a cold state. It did not 
seem as if there was any unction resting upon my ministry. 
For four long months God seemed to be just showing me 
myself. I found I was ambitious; I was not preaching for 
Christ; I was preaching for ambition; I found everything in 
my heart that ought not to be there, and I was a miserable 
man. But after four months the anointing came. It came 
upon me as I was walking in the streets of New York. Many 
a time I have thought of it since I have been here. At last 
I had returned to God again, and I was wretched no longer. 
I almost prayed in my joy, 'O stay Thy hand!' I thought this 
earthen vessel would break. He rilled me so full of the 
Spirit. If I have not been a different man since, I do not know 
mvself. I think I have accomplished more in the last four 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 147 

years than in all the rest of my life. But O, it was preceded 
by a wrestling and hard struggle! I think I had never else 
got out of this miserable selfishness. There was a time when 
I wanted to see my little vineyard blessed, and I could not get 
out of it; but I could work for the whole world now. I would 
like tP go around the world and tell the perishing millions of a 
Savior's love." 

The baptism of fire which had swept over Chicago had also 
passed over his soul. Everything for which he had been am- 
bitious had been completely destroyed. It would have been 
passing strange if such marvelous success as had attended his 
four years in the presidency of the Association, the great re- 
vivals attending his labors everywhere, had not fostered in 
some measure the pride of the natural heart. But this fire 
had, as it were, swept him back, beaten, to the feet of Christ. 
He must begin again at the bottom, literally humbled into 
dust and ashes. There the Lord met him as we have just 
read and under a glorious baptism of the Holy Spirit he had 
returned to his ministry among the poor and the lowly. 

What a blessing his return was! He came in the fulness of 
faith; full of hope and courage, though like his people he had 
suffered the loss of all things. Paul's experience in part was 
repeated in Mr. Moody's, as, "Poor, but making many rich; 
having nothing yet possessing all things." 

Mr. Sankey also was much comforted at this crisis by the 
testimony of a little cliild, a member of the Sunday school, who 
lay dying in one of the poor little huts so hastily built for the 
homeless. "How is it with you to-day?" he asked her. She 
answered, her face all radiant with a smile: "It is all well with 
me to-day. I wish you would speak with my father and 
mother." "But are you a Christian?" "Yes." "When did 
you become one?" "Do you remember last Thursday in the 
Tabernacle, when we had that little singing-meeting, and you 
sang, 'Jesus loves even me?' " "Yes." "It was last Thursday 
I believed on the Lord Jesus, and now I am going to be with 



148 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

him to-day!" The strength of the testimony of that little 
child was enough to take Mr. Sankey to labor in the British 
Isles, as he has himself testified. "I remember," he added, 
when speaking of the circumstance in Scotland, "the joy I had 
in looking upon that beautiful face. She went up to heaven, 
and no doubt she said she learned upon the earth that Jesus 
loved her, from that little hymn. If you want to enjoy a 
blessing, go to the bedside of these bedridden and dying ones 
and sing to them of Jesus, for they cannot enjoy these meet- 
ings as you do. You will get a great blessing to your own 
souls." 

Thus these true yoke-fellows became more devoted than 
ever to the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It 
was a wonderful winter. A happier company than that Sun- 
day school thus rising up among the ashes, could not be found 
anywhere on earth. All the troubles of the week were for- 
gotten in those delightful all-day-long reunions of the Sab- 
bath. Wave upon wave of revival swept over the Tabernacle 
meetings. Having only Jesus how much more precious He 
had become. With what exceeding earnestness and tender- 
ness would Mr. Moody point all the struggling, careworn, dis- 
couraged men and women to the strong, living and sympathet- 
ic Jesus. Thus the winter passed, their common labors and 
sufferings and privation binding them all more closely to each 
other and to the blessed Savior. 

A VISIT TO ENGLAND 

was made by Mr. Moody in the spring of 1872, for the purpose 
of attending the Evangelical Conference at Mildmay Park, 
London, Mr. Sankey being left in charge of the meetings and 
Sabbath school in the Tabernacle. 

This visit, in the Providence of God, was very important as 
opening the way for the great evangelistic tours that were to 
follow and for the blessing which was to come into Mr. 
Moody's own life. In a brief stay in England he preached 



THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. 149 

almost a hundred times, and established a daily union prayer 
meeting in London. He also spent some time with George 
Muller, the founder of the famous orphan asylum at Bristol, 
which had been wholly maintained for many years by a sub- 
lime, child-like reliance upon the very word of God. Here he 
was also brought into closest communion with devout breth- 
ren, who believed in the near approach of the second coming 
of Christ, and came to share most profoundly in their convic- 
tions. Of this new light he has testified: "I have felt like work- 
ing three times as hard ever since I came to understand that 
my Lord was coming back again. I look on this world as a 
wrecked vessel. God has given me a life-boat, and said to me 
'Moody, save all you can.' This world is getting darker and 
darker; its ruin is drawing nearer and nearer; if you have any 
friends on this wreck unsaved, you had better lose no time in 
getting them off." At that time he met Henry Varley, an 
evangelist, and was impressed deeply by his remark: "It re- 
mains for the world to see what the Lord can do with a man 
wholly consecrated to Christ." He also overheard one Chris- 
tian inquire of another concerning him, "Is this young man 
all O O?" And when asked, "What do you mean by O O?" 
replied, "Is he out and out for Christ?" "I tell you," Moody 
confessed later, "it burned down into my soul. It means a 
good deal to be O O for Christ." 

The immediate result of this trip to England was an invita- 
tion to return again the following year for an evangelistic cam- 
paign. Thus the providences of God were combining to send 
forth these consecrated men — Moody and Sankey — to a work, 
the glorious results of which the records in the Lamb's Book 
of Life alone may finally reveal. 




Moody and Sankey in England. 

HE urgent invitation which Mr. Moody had re- 
ceived in 1872 from Rev. Mr. Pennyfather, rector 
of the Mildmay Park Church in London, and Mr. 
Cuthbert Bainbridge, a wealthy Wesleyan mer- 
chant of Newcastle-upon Tyne, had wakened in 
his heart great expectations. Under his recent baptism of 
the Holy Spirit, this hope grew and strengthened in him and 
he was enabled to claim the blessing beforehand. When a 
friend asked him, "Why do you go to England again so soon?" 
His reply was: "To win ten thousand souls to Christ." 

This answer might seem to be the utterance of fanatical en- 
thusiasm if not of presumption. But a gentleman from Man- 
chester, England, in the midst of the wonderful work then in 
progress, said: "it was an inspiring motive that impelled hhr. 
to the attempt. It was an ambition worthy of an apostle. It 
no longer seems a daring impulse that led him to the consecra- 
tion of his earnest powers to such an heavenly purpose." 

Having come to this decision he said to Mr. Sankey: "You 
have often proposed that we should go out evangelizing to- 
gether; now go with me to England." 

Acting on the advice of a friend whom he consulted and the 
inner promptings of his own soul, Mr. Sankey declined an in- 
vitation to go with Philip Phillips on a tour to the Pacific 
coast and decided to go with Mr. Moody. 

They agreed to trust wholly to the Lord to direct aril sup- 
port them, sharing together whatever God by His providence 
should give them for their expenses and as a reward for their 
labors. They were to take no salaries. They were to ask for 
no collections; but to rely entirely upon the Lord for daily 
bread as for daily grace. 

They were to take their wives and children. The day was 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 151 

fixed, but there was no money to pay their passage. It was 
the last day, only a few hours from train time. A friend, his 
generous, true friend, Mr. Farwell, suddenly bethinks himself 
that they will want some money after reaching England; goes 
to say "Good-bye" and places five hundred dollars in Mr. 
Moody's hand. 

One last trial, one last deliverance, and on June the 7th, 1873 
they sailed from New York on an errand of love that was to 
be blessed to twice ten thousand souls — to the mightiest reli- 
gious awakening that Great Britain had ever known. 

A SINGULAR TRIAL OF FAITH 
awaited them. Mr. Pennyfather died while they were on the 
ocean,, and Mr. Bainbridge soon after their arrival at Liver- 
pool. Mr. Moody at once telegraphed his arrival to Mr. Ben- 
nett, secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association, of 
York, from whom also he had an invitation, saying that he 
was ready to begin his meetings. Mr. Bennett replied that it 
would take at least a month to prepare the way for the revival, 
but asking what date he might be expected, Mr. Moody tele- 
graphed "I will be in York to night." 

It was a faith venture, in a city where few had ever heard 
his name, and only Mr. Bennett had ever seen his face. The 
field was by no means promising, as it was the seat of the 
archbishopric, of a cultured and well endowed clergy, amply 
provided with churches that were but poorly attended. Mr. 
Moody said to the doubtful secretary, "Every man has to 
make his own way, and we will begin Sunday." With great 
difficulty two or three churches or chapels were secured; but 
at their first prayer meeting, held on Sunday morning in a 
small room of the Young Men's Christian Asosciation, only 
eight persons were present. And this was the beginning of 

THE GREAT AWAKENING. 
The first week's work considered as a revival was a most 
lamentable failure. The clergy (Church of England), and 



152 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

the ministry, gave them scant courtesy, yet the common peo- 
ple heard them gladly. The Bible Readings attracted special 
attention and the manifest results were upward of twc hun- 
dred and fifty professed conversions. The singing of Mr. 
Sankey was both a surprise and a delight. Never had they 
heard such gospel singing before. Crowds would gather in 
the street in front of his lodgings to listen to it. An instance 
is related of a woman who was convicted of sin while thus lis- 
tening. On asking and obtaining an interview with the sing- 
er she was immediately led to the acceptance of Christ as her 
Savior. Many such conversions have taken place, but this 
seems to have been the first and one of the most striking. 

The next door opened was not a very wide one. One soli- 
tary minister, Mr. Rees, of Sunderland, an open-communion 
Baptist, determined to invite Moody and Sankey to labor 
with his own congregation at Bethesda chapel. Meetings be- 
gan there Sunday, July 27th. 

In speaking of the coldness and opposition of the ministers 
to him in Sunderland it was remarked: "Mr. Moody had one 
whole minister, three-fourths of one other, and nothing, or 
next to nothing of all the rest, to help him in his meetings." 

From the first however, large congregations gathered out 
of curiosity and to hear Mr. Sankey sing. But the work 
dragged heavily. No one in all the town, except Mr. Rees, 
gave them the least official notice. It was here that the fa- 
mous word was uttered : "We can never go on in this way. It 
is easier fighting the devil than fighting the ministers." 

But these men stuck bravely to their post for a month, 
though the harvest was comparatively scant. A good work, 
however, was done in the preaching of the gospel, and later 
when a delegation of young men came down from Edinburgh, 
led by 

HENRY DRUMMOND, 
the whole city was moved as never before in all its history. 
Before those meetings closed more than a thousand persons 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 153 

in Sunderland alone, gave in their names as converts. In his 
weekly letter home, Drummond writes: 

"Requests are pouring in on us from all quarters, and the 
work is just as deep as can be. We have three meetings each 
night, one exclusively for young men. Generally there are 
about a hundred inquirers in all every night, and as most of 
them come to the light before leaving, you may imagine the 
wonderful nature of the work going on around us." 

Meetings of three or four thousand, daily addresses to 
hundreds of young men, crowds of anxious inquirers, urgent 
invitations from all quarters, the success of the work obvious- 
ly dependent upon his presence, ministers and leading laymen 
in many towns looking to him as their chief — conceive of all 
this falling to a man, not quite twenty-three! His biographer 
writes: "The Sunderland Mission made Drummond a man." 

But under Mr. Moody's preaching it was 

AT NEWCASTLE 

that the light was to be kindled which was to shine forth in all 
its glory over all Great Britain, and reveal the power of God 
in the labors of these humble evangelists. 

Rev. David Lowe, a pastor in that city, went down to Sun- 
derland to visit Mr. Moody's meetings. He arrived at the 
place just as a large number of inquirers were being sent into 
a separate room for instruction, and was surprised by the 
bluff greeting of Mr. Moody: 

"Here, Brother Lowe, go in and talk to all these inquirers. 
There are so many you will have to make them into a little 
congregation and talk to them all together." 

This led to an urgent call for Mr. Moody to go to Newcas- 
tle, which was accepted at once as from the Lord. And they 
went, determined by God's grace there to remain and "live 
down the prejudices of the ministers and the good people who 
do not understand us." 

After preaching in various chapels for a week, Mr. Moody 



154 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

settled down at Rye Hill Baptist Chapel, which would ac- 
commodate above sixteen hundred people. Soon this was 
crowded and Music Hall, with its fine auditorium, was also 
thrown open for the noon day prayer meetings, and evening 
services. In answer to the united prayers of the thousands 
of people now attending, the reviving power of God's love be- 
gan to be felt to a most marvelous degree. 

AN ALL DAY MEETING 
held September ioth, was one of great blessing. The spa- 
cious chapel, with its galleries, was filled with those who had 
left business, home-cares and work, pleasure and idleness, to 
come and worship God and hear His word. Never was the 
faith of God's people more abundantly satisfied. They asked 
and it was given, they sought and found, they knocked and 
the door was opened unto them. It was at Newcastle that 
God set up His tabernacle that was to accompany them in all 
their journeys. By the pillar of fire and under mercy clouds 
these men were henceforth to move as led by the very pres- 
ence of the Holy Spirit. The closing service came, when 
strong men bowed and wept out their manly sorrow like chil- 
dren. Mr. Moody would not say "Good-bye." No! but 
"Good-night," rather. The Jubilee Singers who were pres 
ent, sang "Shall we meet beyond the River?" Then came the 
benediction. "The meetings were over, the great occasion 
past, the memory thereof to die no more." 

It were as difficult to reckon up the results of that month 
of revival in Newcastle as of the spring rains which prepare 
the way for the flowers of May, and the harvests of autumn. 
The whole of the north of England was reached and aroused. 
Scores of Christian workers, quickened and instructed, went 
out into the neighboring districts, to tell the story of the cross. 
Hundreds of converts were received into the churches, and 
the tidings of the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon 
Newcastle and vicinity were sent by letters and telegrams all 
over Great Britain. 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 155 

Rev. John Kelman, of Free St. John's, Leith, visited both 
Sunderland and Newcastle to learn for himself if the wonder- 
ful reports of their meetings were true. He had returned 
overflowing with joy, with Mr. Moody's promise to visit 
Edinburgh, and with holy expectations for Scotland. A com- 
mittee was formed, of which Rev. J. H. Wilson, of the Barclay 
Church, Edinburgh, was chairman, and Rev. John Kelman 
secretary, to prepare for the coming of the evangelists. 

Leaving Mr. Moody's work in Scotland for the following 
chapter, and the Impress of the Great Revival upon the Re- 
ligious Life of Scotland for a later chapter by Rev. Dr. Mc- 
Murtrie, Convener of the Foreign Missions' Committee of 
the Church of Scotland, we pass on to his great work in 
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. 

Their meetings there began on a dark Sunday, November 
29th, 1874, in a drenching rain, yet at eight in the morning 
two thousand workers gathered for the opening address by 
Mr. Moody. It was an inspiring talk on "Courage, Perse- 
verance, and Love" — the three requisites of all workers for 
God. 

For months previously strong supplications had been go- 
ing up to the throne for a great blessing. The most delight- 
ful expressions of unity of faith and feeling was a union com- 
munion service held in two chapels, when over two thousand 
Christians from many churches sat down together in fellow- 
ship and love, and prayed to the great Head of the Church 
for grace and power. Already an awakening and reviving 
breath from heaven was passing over the face of the church. 
The unfolding of the revival in Manchester was more beauti- 
ful and refreshing to the spirit than the opening of spring after 
a long, dreary winter. The rapid clothing of the fields with 
spiritual verdure; the sweet fragrance wafted on every breeze 
from the gardens of the Lord; the glowing warmth of Chris- 
tian love and zeal after a protracted season of coldness; the 
quickening of the graces of the soul into new life, and the 



156 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

swelling buds of promise appearing everywhere from the very 
beginning, filled all hearts with joy and the assurance of most 
precious harvestings. 

The afternoon meetings were still more remarkable. The 
incessant rain had not abated, yet both Oxford Hall and Free 
Trade Hall were filled to overflowing and Moody and Sankey 
conducted services in each one. A mighty interest was gath- 
ering which broke forth with wonderful power on Monday 
evening when Free Trade Hall was crowded to its utmost 
capacity. The presence of the Spirit of God was felt by all. 
The address was growing in intense earnestness, the speaker 
seemed to come into direct contact with the souls of the peo- 
ple, hearts melted under the fervor of his appeals. When he 
requested any who wished to be prayed for to stand up, busi- 
ness men began to rise. Before many minutes people were 
standing all over the house. Then followed the inquiry meet- 
ing. Mr. Moody said afterwards that it was the best meet- 
ing he had ever known on the second evening of a series. 

Two or three thousand people crowded into the noon-day 
prayer meetings; and these became the very soul and center of 
the movement. 

In a single week Manchester was all on fire. The most 
difficult of all English cities to be moved by anything except 
politics, was now fairly ablaze. On Sunday, December 6th, 
the Free Trade Hall presented a spectacle never to be for- 
gotten. 

"The building was densely crowded. Not an inch of stand- 
ing room was unoccupied. Long before the appointed hour 
hundreds found it impossible to gain admission. And Mr. 
Moody — in what terms shall I describe his address? -Theo- 
logical critics might have mid there was nothing in it, but only 
eternity will reveal ho\, much came out of it. I should not 
be surprised if hundreds of conversions resulted from that 
single mighty appeal. Taking for his text the first question 
addressed to sinful man, 'Where art thou?' he brought it 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 157 

home to the bosom of every hearer with a power and pathos 
that were simply irresistible. Having referred to the case of 
a young man who had cried out in the inquiry room, 'Oh, 
mother, I am coming,' the young man himself sprang to his 
feet, and exclaimed in tones of impassioned earnestness, 

THAT WAS ME.' 

"The effect was electrical. Not an eye but was suffused with 
tears. The whole vast assembly was impressed with a pro- 
found sense of the presence and power of the Holy Ghost." 

This religious awakening made most wonderful progress 
into the third week. The meetings were more and more 
thronged, and many souls were joyously converted. At one 
of the meetings the case was mentioned of an old gentleman 
seventy years of age who had been seeking Christ for thirteen 
years. He had come a far journey in order to be present at 
the meetings. Still he could not find peace. Last Friday eve- 
ning as Mr. Sankey was singing "The Ninety and Nine," the 
light burst in upon his soul: That's me!' he cried, 'Jesus has 
been seeking me all these years wandering upon the moun- 
tains.' He accepted salvation then and there and found joy 
and peace in believing. 

As the singing of "Jesus of Nazareth Passeth By," and "The 
Ninety and Nine" were the direct means leading to more con- 
versions than any other hymns which Mr. Sankey sung, it 
were well to preserve the truth regarding the origin of this 
most pathetic and persuasive hymn and tune. 

NINETY AND NINE. 
Music to the words of the famous old gospel hymn, "There 
Were Ninety and Nine," forever identified with the work of 
Moody and Sankey, was composed by Mr. Sankey under the 
inspiration of Mr. Moody's early preaching. The two were 
traveling in Scotland during their first trip to Great Britain. 
On the train one day the singer cut from a newspaper the 
familiar lines of Miss E. C. Clephane: 



158 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

There were ninety and nine that safely lay 

In the shelter of the fold, 
But one was out on the hills away, 
Far from the gates of gold. 

He handed the clipping to his companion, who scanned the 
verse and returned it without comment. The same day Mr. 
Moody, in a public meeting, made one of the most earnest 
appeals of his ministry. His discourse suggested the tender 
care of the shepherd, and the people were profoundly im- 
pressed. 

Suddenly the emotional tension of the audience was arrested 
by the speaker turning to his associate at the organ. "Sankey, 
sing something," he said. Taken by surprise, Mr. Sankey 
fumbled through his old hymn book, but failed to find either 
words or music for the occasion. The newspaper clipping 
was in his mind. On the impulse he placed it before him on 
the organ and began to sing. The marvelous power of the 
singer went direct to the hearts of the audience. He sang as 
he never had before. His voice was heard around the world. 
The hymn as sung by Mr. Sankey to-day is practically the 
same. ''Sankey/' said Mr. Moody, regretfully, years after- 
ward, "there will never be another 'Ninety and Nine.' " 

An incident in connection with the hymn so closely associat- 
ed with the two evangelists is treasured among the fondest 
recollections of each. Upon returning from their first trip to 
England a great meeting of welcome was held under the trees 
in front of the old Northfield Church. At Mr. Moody's re- 
quest Mr. Sankey sang the "Ninety and Nine." 

Across the river, nearly a mile distant, on the porch of what 
was known as the "white house," sat Farmer Caldwell, the 
avowed atheist, miserable in his disbelief. He was angry be- 
cause his wife and children had gone to the Moody and Sankey 
meeting, and his meditations were bitter. The powerful voice 
of Mr. Sankey rolled in upon him over the valley and echoed 
faintly from the hills. Before the singing died away, in the 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 159 

afternoon silence of the mountain side, Mr. Caldwell was on 
his knees. 

Nine years afterward "old man" Caldwell lay dying in Bon- 
ar Hall, one of the seminary buildings. Down the old North- 
field street another crowd was assembled. Mr. Sankey, 
standing upon the corner stone of the new church edifice of 
the town, was again singing the famous old hymn. Suddenly 
the dying man roused himself. 

"I hear singing/' he said to his wife. "Open the south win- 
dow." Thinking it was only a fancy the wife tried to divert 
him, but when he insisted that he heard music the window was 
opened and he listened again to the song that had first touched 
his heart. 

The closing week in Manchester was the most joyful of all. 
The tide of blessing which had been steadily rising was then 
reaching its flood. The earnestness of the preacher seemed 
to be met by the eagerness of the people, and the unconverted 
were urged to take refuge, in Christ with a vehemence which 
brought hundreds into the kingdom. At the noon prayer 
meeting December 31st, Mr. Moody read and commented on 
the first part of the 138th Psalm. In his closing remarks he 
said he had to bless God for what he had done for him. It 
had been the best year of his life. He had been more used of 
God than in all the seventeen preceding years. He did not 
know of one sermon he had delivered that had not been 
blessed to the conviction or conversion of some soul. And 
thus his meetings in Manchester closed. 

MEETINGS IN SHEFFIELD. 

Messrs. Moody and Sankey arrived in Sheffield Thursday 
afternoon, December 31st, 1874. When the clock should 
strike the midnight hour what a wonderful year would be fin- 
ished! What a record had its blessed days borne aloft of 
souls saved and a Redeemer glorified. What mighty influ- 
ences had been started on their never dying mission. How 



160 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

precious the far-waving harvests. The year opened for them 
amid the hushed and holy throng - gathered in Edinburgh to 
watch the old year out and the new year in. It was to close for 
them while on bended knees they prayed for Sheffield. 

THE WATCH-NIGHT SERVICE 

was to be held in Albert Hall, before which an immense 
throng had been standing an hour before the doors were 
opened. A large number of ministers came on the platform 
about eleven o'clock. Mr. Sankey sang "Jesus of Nazareth 
Passeth by," as the close of the year drew nigh. Never before 
had such an effect been produced by his singing. Never had 
he been heard to sing with greater pathos the closing lines of 
the last stanza, 

"Too late! too late! will be the cry, 
Jesus of Nazareth has passed by." 

"Mr. Moody spoke from Luke xix:io, Tor the Son of 
Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.' As 
illustrating this verse he graphically narrated the two stories 
immediately preceding the text — that of the opening of the 
eyes of blind Bartimeus and the conversion of Zac- 
cheus. The stories were related in that way peculiarly 
Mr. Moody's own, making his listeners part and parcel of the 
scene, as if the whole thing were enacted just in the Targate, 
and Jesus were passing the hall doors. He connected the two 
stones by throwing out the thought that as Bartimeus was on 
his way home to tell his wife, Zaccheus met him. 'Why, isn't 
that the poor blind beggar? It's like him; but it can't be, 
for his eyes are open.' 

" 'Yes, it is I.' 

" 'What has made your eyes open?' 

" 'Jesus of Nazareth did it.' 

" 'Where is He? I must see Him.' 

" 'He's just on the road to Jericho.' 

"Away Zaccheus runs; and because he is a little man, he 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 161 

gets up a tree to see well. Jesus stops, looks up, calls him, 
'Zaccheus, come down.' This was one instance of sudden 
conversion. Some don't believe in sudden conversion; but 
here Zaccheus was not converted when he went up the tree, 
yet he came down a converted man. We are told he re- 
ceived Jesus gladly. From these incidents, he proved how 
willing, how eager, Christ is to save all. What have we to do? 
Nothing! blessed be God. If we had we would never do it. 
Only accept. What had Zaccheus to do? Only come down, 
only obey. 

"He concluded by drawing the attention of the audience to 
the fact that the old year was fast dying — only a few minutes 
— and what if the new year should come and find us where we 
were — lost! Oh, let each of us take it; the offer is here; will 
you have it? Salvation — ay, even before this year is closed 
you may be saved. As there are only a few minutes of this 
year remaining, let us finish the old and begin the new on our 
knees. The whole audience then sunk on their knees, and 
the new year found them bent in silent prayer. Mr. Moody 
asked those who were unsaved to stand up, that they might 
be prayed for. A few stood up and Christians were asked to 
pray for them. While the audience thus remained kneeling, 
the most intense stillness prevailed, broken only by an occas- 
ional sob. 

"As the bells began to ring in the New Year, prayer was of- 
fered for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on Sheffield. Mr. 
Moody then offered the closing prayer and with the doxology 
the meeting separated." 

The meetings in Albert Hall were marked by the usual 
scenes now everywhere attending the services of these evan- 
gelists. Crowded meetings, thrice repeated every day at- 
tended by all classes of persons were accompanied by the us- 
ual power from on high. 

The only peculiar feature here was an out-door service. 
The hall being entirely to small to accommodate the throngs 



162 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Mr. Moody went into the parish church yard and there 
preached to the largest audience he had ever addressed in 
England. 

At the beginning of the second week's labor Mr. Moody tel- 
egraphed to Drummond (who was now regularly following 
up Moody's work, but with special reference to young men), 
saying: "Come to Sheffield at three to-day. I have a great 
men's meeting for you to-night." In writing of the work 
Drummond says : "My audience last night would number 
about three thousand, and to night I have another just the 
same. I think the work here is going to be splendid. All 
classes are moved from the mayor to the beggar." 

MEETINGS IN BIRMINGHAM. 

This city of four hundred thousand population had been far 
more noted for her political activity than for great religious 
vitality. For years she had been a political power in the 
land — Hon. John Bright sitting in the House of Commons 
as one of her representatives. Yet the city also boasted some 
very strong ministers, Dr. R. W. Dale, then living, being one 
of the finest preachers and ablest writers in connection with 
the Congregational body. In this city meetings were begun 
Sunday morning, January 17th, under most favorable aus- 
pices. The meetings were to be held in Bingley Hall, one of 
the most spacious buildings in the country. When John 
Bright addressed his constituents twenty thousand people 
could crowd into the hall which was not then seated — but for 
these services about fifteen thousand sittings had been pro- 
vided. Two services had been held in the Town Hall — ca- 
pacity nearly five thousand — on Sabbath morning and after- 
noon, but in the evening Bingley Hall was thrown open to all 
and was crowded throughout an hour before the time fixed, 
and the doors had to be closed against two or three times as 
many thousands as were within. 

It was stated that never before in the history of Birmingham 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 163 

had such great crowds been drawn together as had thronged 
their largest chapels and halls to hear the gospel. At least 
160,000 persons had attended the services of the first ten days. 

Mr. Moody said in the closing services, "I have never en- 
joyed preaching the gospel more than since I came to Bir- 
mingham. We have reached so many people. I think, if we 
could, we would take up Bingley Hall and carry it around the 
world with us." Although mere figures can never give any 
adequate idea of the good accomplished in such meetings, it 
is interesting to know that over two thousand persons giving 
names and addresses applied for tickets to the converts' meet- 
ing; and of these fourteen hundred professed to have been 
brought to Christ during those two brief weeks — the six hun- 
dred were still anxiously inquiring the way of life." 

The following touching incident was related by Mr. Moody 
as showing 

THE POWER OF PRAYER. 

"A little boy was dying, and he said to his minister that 
he would like to do something for Jesus before he died to 
show his gratitude for what He had done for him. The min- 
ister said he could work for Jesus if he put down on paper the 
names of those he wished brought to Christ, and prayed for 
the conversion of each. 

"The minister went away, and forgot the matter; not so the 
boy. Shortly there arose a revival of religion in that dis- 
trict, and special meetings were held. The father of the boy, 
a godly man, took part in them, and every night when he re- 
turned home his son inquired with an intense interest, which 
surprised him, about this one and that one, if he had been im- 
pressed or she had come to Christ, and when the answer was 
'No/ he just turned to the wall and prayed. The little boy 
died, and under his pillow was found a paper containing a list 
of fifty-six names for whom he prayed, all of whom had been 
brought to Christ. Let us labor fervently in prayer, and God 
will bless." 



164 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

MEETINGS IN LIVERPOOL. 

On Sunday morning, February 7th, Mr. Moody began his 
services in the great commercial city of Liverpool. They were 
held in Victoria Hall, a building specially erected in thirty- 
nine working days at a cost of $20,000 for his use. It could 
seat eight thousand persons exclusive of the platform, and 
one or two thousand could find standing room. At the first 
service, which was always for Christian workers, five or six 
thousand persons were present at the early hour of eight 
o'clock. The usual series of meetings followed, with ever in- 
creasing power and blessing. The tide of revival influence 
rose rapidly and waves of blessing flowed through every part 
of the great city. The average daily attendance at the three 
main services was upward of twenty thousand while thous- 
ands more were unable to gain admission. 

At one of the noon-day meetings more than six thousand 
persons were present. Several hundred requests for prayer 
were presented, Mr. Moody saying, "Jesus knows them, 
every one." 

Great interest was aroused by the account given by a gen- 
tleman from Dublin, where the meetings were still being car- 
ried on with great power — over two thousand Roman Cath- 
olics being in attendance there: 

"A Roman Catholic lady while reading one of the Moody 
and Sankey hymns in a railway carriage was surprised by 
some one speaking to her, she having thought herself alone. 
The person said, 'I see what you are about.' To her greater 
alarm she saw it was her father-confessor; but he said to her, 
'Don't be startled; I have been to those meetings in Dublin 
myself, and I have reason to be thankful and bless God for 
them.' Taking the book out of her hand, he opened it at the 
hymn, 'Jesus tne Water of Life has Given,' and said it was 
when that hymn was sung in the Exhibition Building that 
God took away the burden of his sins; adding, 'Now I am go- 
ing over to England to attend the services of those two good 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 165 

men, and I shall never return again as a Romish priest to Ire- 
land; God has burst my bonds.' " 

What the prophet only saw in vision became a glorious 
fact in Liverpool. The waters of grace which at first only 
reached to the ankles, and then to the knees, soon rose above 
the loins and became a mighty river that men could swim in. 
Thousands felt as if the whole city and district about it were 
in the mighty and loving hands of God. 

While no figures are given, the inquirers and converts must 
have numbered thousands, and that month in Liverpool was 
considered as one of the most blessed harvest times granted 
during the two years they spent in Great Britain. On their 
last Sabbath the great Victoria Hall was four times crowded 
to its utmost capacity and with the meetings held in two other 
large halls the attendance could not have been less than fifty 
thousand. Such was Liverpool in February and March, 1875, 
while in June, 1873, to tne ca ^ °f tne evangelists not a single 
soul had responded. 

THE LONDON REVIVAL. 

In a second class compartment of a railway carriage, two 
men, having nothing to distinguish them from ordinary pas- 
sengers, are on their way up to London from Liverpool. Only 
a year and a half agone they were entering the city of 
York unheralded and almost absolutely unknown, with only 
a single man to greet them, and a bare half dozen to meet with 
them on Sunday morning to pray for God's blessing on Eng 
land. They prayed in an agony of faith. Months roll by, 
and now that they are nearing the metropolis of the modern 
world, like St. Paul nearing Rome, they thanked God and 
took courage. 

Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands are waiting for 
them. London alone is to give them another ten thousand of 
precious souls to win whom for Christ they had ventured out 
alone and trusting only in God for the fulfillment of His prom- 



166 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

ises. Twelve hundred ministers had met with Mr. Moody 
some weeks before and the time since elapsing had been spent 
in most active work and most earnest prayer for God's bless- 
ing to fall with wondrous power upon the four millions of peo- 
ple dwelling in that vast and mighty city. 

One month is to be spent in each of the four great districts 
into which London has been divided. The largest halls to be 
had have been secured, others were being erected and fifty 
thousand dollars had been poured into the treasury towards 
the expenses. The meetings are to begin in Agricultural 
Hall, in Islington, North District, in the midst of a popula- 
tion numbering upwards of a million. 

Only once had Mr.' Spurgeon ventured to preach in that 
great structure to an audience of twenty-two thousand peo- 
ple. Temporary partitions were to be erected so that all 
could hear, and on Tuesday evening the first service was to 
be held. At six o'clock the crowds began to gather, and by 
half-past seven eighteen or twenty thousand persons had 
thronged the vast building. 

Mr. Moody, after reading I Corinthians, 1:17-31, spoke in 
part as follows: 

"He said that he had received letters from a great many 
Christians in London, who were praying that God might re- 
vive His work here. His great fear in coming to this city was 
that many might be leaning upon man, and upon the arm of 
flesh, and might take their eyes off from the living God. If a 
work was to be done in London, however, God must do it. It 
was not any new gospel that London wanted, nor any new 
power. It was the same old, old story that the ministers of 
the churches had been telling continually. God's ways were 
not bur ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts, and we must not 
mark out channels for the Holy Ghost to work in when He 
comes. 

"When God was going to destroy the world, and wanted an 
ark built, He did not tell a nation to do it, neither did He call 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 167 

upon hundreds of men to do it,but one man, and he a man who 
was contemptible in the sight of the world; for the world 
laughed at him and mocked him. What was highly esteemed 
by man was an abomination to God and what was highly es- 
teemed by God was an abomination to man. When He wanted 
to bring three millions of people out of Egypt, His way of do- 
ing it was quite different from any that man would have adopt- 
ed. He did not send an army with chariots, but a man who 
had been forty years on the back side of the desert, and whose 
name had been forgotten among the children of Israel, a man 
slow of speech, a stuttering man. 

"There was not a man whose name shone out on the page of 
divine history but was considered a fool in his day. He had 
no doubt that Enoch was considered a great fool in the sight 
of the world, but he walked with God, and God thought so 
much of him that He said 'Come up higher,' for He liked his 
company. Noah was the laughing stock of his day. Men 
made great sport of him; but he was willing to be a fool for 
God's sake, and God used him and blessed him. And if we 
want to be of use to God, we must be willing to be fools in the 
sight of the world. Look at Joshua going round the walls of 
Jericho. It was a most absurd sight. How the London press 
would have come down upon a scene like that! Fancy the 
Archbishop of Canterbury and other great dignitaries going 
round London blowing rams' horns! Everybody would be 
disgusted and say they should have golden trumpets at least. 
But that was not God's way. Look at Samson. When the 
Spirit was on him, how he worked. With a jaw-bone of an 
ass he slew a thousand men. People nowadays were not will- 
ing to work with the jaw bone of an ass. They wanted some 
polished weapons that the world would not say anything 
against; but Samson came down from the rock, and took up 
the first jaw bone of an ass that he came across, and went out 
and slew the Philistines right and left. What was wanted 
now was that every one should grab up the first jaw bone of an 



168 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

ass that he could lay hold of, and not wait to do some great 
thing. How absurd it must have looked to see Gideon, with 
his three hundred men with their pitchers! What queer wea- 
pons those were! but every man stood in his place, and the 
result was that they routed the whole army. Look at Elijah 
fed by such unclean, contemptible things as ravens; and when 
the Lord sent him somewhere else, it was not to a palace or to 
a table laid with good things, but to a poor widow who had 
scarcely enough for a meal for herself and her boy. So it was 
at the present day, for God was unchangeable. 

"It was said that we are living in an enlightened age. That 
might be true, but to God it made no difference. He still used 
base and contemptible and despised things to effect His pur- 
pose. When He wanted a book written that should do some 
good to the world, He did not call forth a philosopher, but a 
Bedford tinker, and the devil had his match when he got hold 
of John Bunyan. There was not a man present at the gath- 
ering whom God could not use if he were willing to be used. 
There was not a man in all Saul's army but knew that God 
could use him against Goliath, but only one, and he, the 
youngest of Jesse's family, was willing to be used. It was 
said of David's soldiers that they were all right and left handed 
men. That was what London wanted now, men who could 
use their right hand or their left hand, their eyes, their tongues, 
their cars, for the King of Glory. Who would have thought 
of Elisha to take the place of the wonderful old prophet Eli- 
jah? Men nowadays would go to the schools of the prophets 
and pick out some theological professor, but Elijah found a 
man behind twelve yoke of oxen, and Elisha slew his oxen, and 
started off with Elijah, consecrating all to the service of God. 
Christ did not call around Him the learned and the wise, but 
Galilean fishermen, and that handful of men shook the world. 
Even before he could use Saul the name had to be changed to 
p au l_th e Little. What London wanted, and what the whole 
world wanted, was not eloquence, but Christ and Him cruci- 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 169 

fied. Let every man and woman then, who loved the Lord 
Jesus, begin to publish the glad tidings of salvation; let them 
talk to their neighbors of the love of Christ and so rise and 
take the city, for God was able to do it. The world did not 
like to have Christ preached, but it was just what the world 
did not like that Christians must give it. The lion of hell was 
overcome by a lion; but the Lion of the tribe of Judah was 
also a Lamb. There was weeping once in heaven when John 
found no one worthy to open the book; but at last one touched 
him, and said, 'Weep not, John, for there is one worthy; the 
Lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed and He is worthy.* 
And when John turned round to look at the Lion, it was a 
slam Lamb. God's Lion is a Lamb slain. 

"Then, to attain success there must be union among Chris- 
tians. There were three classes of people that ought to sym- 
pathize with this movement. Every minister who wanted to 
crown Christ king ought to be interested in the work; every 
Sabbath school superintendent and teacher, every missionary 
and colporteur ought at least to pray for it, and every father 
ancl mother ought to join in it. When he was in Liverpool the 
other day a woman came to him with a photograph of a beau- 
tiful boy, who, she said, would now be nineteen years old. She 
said he had had trouble and had fled from his home. She did 
not know what had become of him, and she asked him if he 
saw him in London, to try and win him to the Lord, that he 
might come back to cheer her heart. There were many such 
boys in London, and he hoped God would bring them to Christ 
so that they might go back to be a blessing to their parents 
and to the church at large. To all such he would say, 'Your 
mother still loves you, and wants you to return. Her heart 
is breaking for you. God wants you; Jesus wants you. There 
is room in heaven for you.' 

"If there was unity among God's people in this work, no 
combination of power could stand against it. When the 
church, the pulpit, and the pew were all of one mind, Chris- 



170 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

tianity would be like a red hot ball rolling over the earth, and 
all the hosts of death and hell would not be able to resist it. 
'By this,' said Christ, 'shall men know that ye arc my disciples 
if ye love one another.' 

"When General Grant was marching on Richmond and his 
army had been repulsed in the Wilderness, he called his com- 
manders together, and asked them what they thought he had 
better do. They advised him to retreat, but before morning 
an orderly was sent round, directing an advance in solid col- 
umn on the enemy at daylight. That was what took Rich- 
mond, and broke down the rebellion. The Christians of Lon- 
don, too, must lift high the standard, and in the name of their 
God advance in solid column on the enemy before daylight. 
Let them work together, shoulder to shoulder, with a single 
eye to the honor and glory of Christ; let them pray that they 
might get self out of the way, and that Christ might be all in 
all, and then they would have success. Let their watchword 
be, 'Here am I; send me,' and the result was certain." 

The first daily prayer meeting that Mr. Moody attended 
was the one held on Wednesday, March ioth, 

IN EXETER HALL. 

In three days of noon and evening services about eighty 
thousand persons listened to the glorious gospel ol the blessed 
God. "It is simple truth to state that such meetings were 
never held before in London, if ever they were held in the his- 
tory of the world." Sunday, March 14th, was a wonderful day. 
Such thousands of Christian workers had never assembled 
together before. Mr. Moody's theme was the usual one for 
the occasion. Text, Daniel, 12:3, "They that be wise shall 
shine," etc. At the afternoon service for women only, up- 
wards of seventeen thousand gathered. Was there ever such 
a meeting before? More anxious souls thronged to the in- 
quiry room than it could contain. The evening service was 
for men and an hour before time for exercises to begin the 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 171 

building was crowded, doors shut, and thousands turned away. 
Again the inquiry rooms were crowded and Christians enough 
to talk with the anxious men could not be found. And this 
mighty movement in the souls of men before the first week 
had ended! Whence could this power be, if it were not from 
God? No less than twenty noonday meetings were regularly 
held in London, and the requests for prayer were far too 
numerous to be read. But whether the requests came up from 
the multitudes in the East End in broken sentences, or were 
written on perfumed paper by jewelled hands, there was the 
same agony of appeal for divine grace and help. 

BOW ROAD HALL 
in the East End was a wooden structure erected to hold ten 
thousand people, but this was all too small. These great con- 
gregations of the miserably poor and many of them of the 
miserably degraded recognized the sincerity of the man who 
spoke to them in that familiar manner which had drawn the 
population of The Sands to the Old North Market Mission. 
Mr. Moody made them feel that he was their brother and was 
not ashamed to own it. They listened to him most attentive- 
ly, eagerly, drinking in new hope with every word that went 
home to their hearts with the greater and swifter force of sal- 
vation. It was a sight to make saints and angels glad to see 
hundreds of men and women, old and young, rise in that vast 
audience after one of his impetuous appeals to signify their 
desire to be saved. 

Leaving the work then in other hands, Moody and Sankey 
would be whirled behind the fastest horses to be had, to 

THE QUEEN'S OPERA HOUSE, 
in the West End to face five thousand of London's most fash- 
ionable and aristocratic population. But there was no differ- 
ence between a sinner driving to the Opera House in a car- 
riage and a poor outcast dragging himself in rags to Bow 
Road Llall. Instinctively Mr. Moody's manner changed as 



172 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

he addressed these circles of the wealthy, the cultured and 
the aristocratic. But he was the ambassador of the Most 
High, a messenger sent by the Lord Jesus Christ; and they 
instantly recognized a loftiness of soul in his simple, manly 
earnestness and forgot both the preacher and their rank as he 
proclaimed to them the love of God and pointed them to the 
Lamb slain for the sins of the world. 

Hearts are alike the world over. Mr. Moody knew the gos- 
pel and he knew Jesus Christ, the only Redeemer, and the 
quickest way to Him. They wept over his stories illustrating 
the love of Christ for lost sinners, sang with devout rapture 
the sweet hymns of the gospel, and thronged the inquiry 
rooms seeking the Savior. It was no slight evidence of the 
presence of the love of God in the hearts of many of the 
wealthy and cultured men of business or of leisure that more 
than twenty-five thousand pounds — one hundred and twenty- 
five thousand dollars — were brought in and cheerfully given 
to the great work of the Lord. 

The same work of grace went forward, but with some fea- 
tures peculiar to itself, in Camborwell Hall, in South London, 
but space does not admit of any extended reference to that 
marvelous work of grace which now went spreading in ever 
increasing and widening circles of blessing throughout the 
great city of London. 

By this time the religious world, and the secular world alike 
had come to fully recognize the fact that Mr. Dwight L. 
Moody knew and could teach some things better than any 
man in Great Britain — perhaps in the world — these three es- 
pecially: First, the Doctrine of the Atonement, "Christ died 
for our sins according to the scriptures"; second, the Doctrine 
and experience of Regeneration, "Ye must be born again;" 
third, How to preach this gospel to the masses. 

On the 1 2th of July, a parting meeting of thanksgiving was 
held at Mildmay Park Conference Hall. About seven hun- 
dred ministers were present, among them Dr. A. Bonar, who 



MOODY AND SANKEY IN ENGLAND. 173 

brought the glad tidings that the churches of Glasgow had re- 
ceived seven thousand members as the fruits of their great re- 
vival. 

In trying to say farewell to his English friends who had sus- 
tained him so faithfully in his great mission, Mr. Moody broke 
down completely and was compelled to leave abruptly, fol- 
lowed by their blessings and their prayers. 

On August 6th, Messrs. Moody and Sankey, with their fam- 
ilies, sailed from Liverpool, and landed in New York on the 
14th. Mr. Moody had left New York a comparatively un- 
known mission worker; he returned 

THE GREATEST EVANGELIST OF THE NINE- 
TEENTH CENTURY. 

These true yoke fellows now separated to their respective 
early homes to enjoy a brief holiday and well-earned rest. Mr. 
Moody, during his absence, had come to recognize the wider 
mission to which God was calling him, and having decided to 
make Northfield his home, he purchased for some $3000, a 
plain, but roomy, frame house, with fine grounds attached, not 
far from his mother's home. Here he gave himself up to the 
more systematic study of his well-marked Bible, and to the 
preparation of new sermons. The spiritual desolation of that 
community and region so pressed upon his heart, however, 
that he soon began a series of meetings which were crowded 
with the people who gathered from many miles around. The 
final services were held on Sunday afternoon, October 17th, 
at which the cup of his joy was filled to overflowing. His 
younger brother, Samuel, had already been converted under 
this ministry, but his mother had not yet heard her beloved 
son preach. As they were getting ready to drive down in the 
old farm wagon, the mother startled her daughter by saying: 

"I don't suppose there would be room in the wagon for me, 
this afternoon, would there?" 



174 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"Of course there will be room, mother," said the daughter. 
And the mother went down with the rest. 

Mr. Moody preached with more than usual fervor, that was 
doubtless greatly increased by the presence of his mother. 
His earnest prayer for a final blessing on their gatherings was 
graciously answered, for, when those who wished prayer were 
asked to arise, among the twenty-five who responded was his 
own aged mother. 

His strength gave way at the sight. Tears of joy ran down 
his face. He was completely overcome, and turning to his 
old friend, B. F. Jacobs, of Chicago, he said, trembling with 
emotion: "You pray, Jacobs, I can't." 

Under this precious baptism of joy in the Holy Ghost, Mr. 
Moody now turned with renewed eagerness to the great 
fielcls in his own home land which had long been ripening for 
a glorious harvest. 





Great Work in Scotland. 

COTLAND is no stranger to especial outpourings 
of God's Spirit. In the sixteenth century under 
the bold preaching of John Knox, all classes felt 
his power, from the throne to the humblest cot- 
tage. An English ambassador said that his 
preaching "put more life into him than six hundred trumpets. " 
Under his earnest appeal many soldiers enlisted in the Chris- 
tian army; long established evils were broken up, and the vi- 
brations caused by his spiritual thunder have not yet ceased 
to reverberate among her thousand hills. 

When Whitefield visited Scotland in 1747, he preached in 
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, with great success. His 
matchless eloquence and spiritual fervor drew vast throngs; 
and his communion services, held in the open air, were some- 
times administered in the presence of nearly twenty thousand 
people. 

About the middle of November, 1873, two plain Americans 
bearing the humble title of evangelists entered the city of 
Edinburgh. They had neither the intellectual strength of 
John Knox, nor the glowing and lofty eloquence of George 
Whitefield, but they evidently had been baptized with power 
from on high. 

When Mr. Moody received his first invitation to hold meet- 
ings in the capital of Scotland, it was with some misgivings 
that he accepted them, saying to himself, "What can such a 
man as I do up there amongst those great Scotch divines?" 

But feeling sure that God was able with a worm "to thrash 
a mountain," he set his face northward to begin what proved 
the most remarkable series of meetings Scotland had ever 
known. 

Their coming had long been anticipated, and full of ardent 
longings for the blessing of God to fall on their beloved city 



176 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

and land, daily union prayer meetings had been begun which 
speedily became prophetic of the glorious work that was to 
follow. These meetings were rapidly crowded from place to 
place until the 

ASSEMBLY HALL WAS CROWDED. 

On Saturday, November 23d, the Music Hall was densely 
crowded at the opening services at which Moody and Sankey 
were advertised to preach. At the afternoon service Mr. 
Moody was unable to be present. In the evening Mr. San- 
key was absent, yet both meetings were wonderfully blessed. 
This awkward beginning was set down as providential as 
showing that the power and blessing were of God, and not of 
men. From the very first no place in Edinburgh could con- 
tain the congregations which thronged to hear them. Three 
or four churches were constantly in requisition, and even then 
it was necessary to attend an hour or two before the time ap- 
pointed, in order to be sure of admittance. 

"One of the first things that impressed us," says Mr. Kel- 
man, "was the extraordinary voracity of Mr. Moody's faith. 
We had been accustomed to go to the meetings, hoping God 
would bless us. But Mr. Moody always said, 'We know He 
will bless us,' and so well assured was he that God delighted to 
give large things in answer to prayer, that he was continually 
asking for blessings which were out of all proportion to our 
faith. But the blessings would come; sometimes so largely, 
that we did not know what to do with them. We were often 
absolutely overwhelmed with the power and the glory of 
God." At one meeting composed of sixty-six young men 
who were inquiring what they must do to be saved, sixty of 
them were blessed before they left the place. 

There was nothing of novelty in the doctrine which Mr. 
Moody proclaimed. It was the old gospel — old, yet always 
fresh and young too, as the living fountain, or the morning 
sun, in which the substitution of Christ was placed in the cen- 



, GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. 177 

fer, and presented with most admirable distinctness, decision 
and force. It was spoken with impressive directness, not as 
by a man half convinced and who seems always to feel as if a 
sceptic was looking over his shoulder, but with a~deep con- 
viction of the truth of what he said, as if like old Andrew Ful- 
ler, he could "venture his eternity on it." It was also spoken 
with tremendous earnestness, as if he felt that if he did not 
speak, the very stones would cry out. 

PREACHING IN THE GRASS MARKET. 

At first the work of grace was confined to the middle and 
upper classes of society, but later special efforts were made to 
reach the poor — and they are poor, indeed, in Edinburgh. 
Accordingly meetings were begun in the Corn Exchange, an 
immense building on the south side of the Grass Market, 
which lies under the Castle Hill. The meeting on Sunday 
night, December 28th, for men only, was one of the most ex- 
traordinary of them all. The building was crowded, the deep- 
est interest prevailed. Mr. Sankey sang several hymns, such 
as "The Lifeboat," "The Prodigal Child," "Jesus of Nazareth 
Passeth By." 

Mr. Moody began his address by telling the well-known 
story about Rowland Hill and Lady Erskine. Her ladyship 
was driving past a great crowd of people to whom Hill was 
preaching. She asked who the preacher was, and on being 
informed, told her coachman to drive nearer. Rowland Hill, 
seeing her approach, asked who she was, and when he was 
told, he said there was a soul there for sale. Who would bid, 
he asked, for Lady Erskine's soul? There was Satan's offer. 
He would give pleasure, honor, position, and in fact the 
whole world. There was also, he said, the offer of the Lord 
Jesus, who would give pardon, peace, joy, rest and at last 
heaven and glory. He then asked Lady Erskine which of 
these bids she would accept. Ordering her coachman to 
open her carriage door, she pressed her way through the 



178 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

crowd to where the preacher was, and said, "Lord Jesus, I 
give my soul to Thee; accept of it." 

Mr. Moody then went on to urge his hearers to give them- 
selves then and there to the same Savior, who was that day 
preached in the hearing of Lady Erskine and accepted by her. 
He brought out the freeness of the gospel offer, and the im- 
portance of immediately closing with it. He then asked all 
who were anxious and desiring to be saved to follow him up 
to the Free Assembly Hall. A great crowd did so, and when 
they appeared there the doorkeeper announced to Dr. Bonar 
the startling news, "that Mr. Moody had brought up the 
whole Grass Market with him." The body of the Hall was 
cleared for these six or seven hundred anxious souls. - Dr. 
Bonar, in referring to that meeting the next day at the noon 
hour of prayer, said: "In all my life I never preached to such 
an audience. The vast multitude bowed under the simple 
preaching of the gospel, and without any excitement were 
melted into tears of penitence, and the children of God to 
tears of joy." 

NECESSITY AND POWER OF PRAYER. 

I think we should give a very prominent place in that great 
revival to the earnest and united prayers of God's children 
that were everywhere and continually ascending to the throne 
of grace. The depth, the extent and permanency of the work 
especially were measured and determined largely by this 
wonderful spirit of prayer that prevailed. We think it so im- 
portant that we give place to the following appeal for united 
and fervent supplication which was sent to every minister of 
every denomination in Scotland. This appeal was signed by 
thirty or forty of the most prominent pastors, professors, and 
honored and titled laymen in the grand old city of Edinburgh. 

"Edinburgh is now enjoying signal manifestations of grace. 
Many of the Lord's people are not surprised at this. In Octo- 
ber and November last, they met from time to time to pray 



GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. 179 

for it. They hoped that they might have a visit from Messrs. 
Moody and Sankey, of America, but they very earnestly be- 
sought the Lord that He would deliver them from depending 
upon them, or on any instrumentality, and that He Himself 
would come with them, or come before them. He has gra- 
ciously answered that prayer, and His own presence is now 
wonderfully manifested, and is felt to be among them. God 
is so affecting the hearts of men that the Free Church Assem- 
bly Hall, the largest public building in Edinburgh, is crowded 
every day at noon with a meeting for prayer; and that building 
along with the Established Church Assembly Hall, overflows 
every evening when the gospel is preached. But the numbers 
that attend are not the most remarkable feature. It is the 
presence and the power of the Holy Ghost, the solemn awe,the 
prayerful, believing, expectant spirit, the anxious inquiry of 
unsaved souls, and the longing of believers to grow more like 
Christ — their hungering and thirsting after holiness. The 
hall of the Tolbooth Church, and the Free High Church, are 
nightly attended by anxious inquirers. All denominational 
and social distinctions are entirely merged. All this is of the 
God of grace. 

"Another proof of the Holy Spirit's presence is, that a de- 
sire has been felt and expressed in these meetings that all 
Scotland should share the blessing that the capital is now en- 
joying. 

"It is impossible that our beloved friends from America 
should visit every place, or even all those to which they have 
been urged to go.* But this is not ncessary. The Lord is 
willing Himself to go wherever He is truly invited. He is wait- 
ing. The Lord's people in Edinburgh, therefore, would af- 
fectionately entreat all their brethren throughout the land to 
be importunate in invoking Him to come to them, and to dis- 
miss all doubt as to His being willing to do so. 

"The week of prayer, from the 4th to the nth of January 
next, affords a favorable opportunity for combined action. In 



i80 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

every town and hamlet let there be a daily meeting for prayer 
during that week, and also as often as may be before it. In 
Edinburgh the hour is from twelve to one o'clock, and where 
the same hour suits other places, it would be pleasing to meet 
together in faith at the throne of grace. But let the prayers 
not be formal, unbelieving, unexpecting, but short, fervent, 
earnest entreaties, mingled with abounding praise and fre- 
quent short exhortations; and let them embrace the whole 
world, that God's way may be known upon earth, His saving 
health among all nations. If the country will thus fall on 
their knees, the God who has filled our national history with 
the wonders of His love will come again, and surprise even 
the strongest believers by the unprecedented tokens of His 
grace. 'Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee 
great and mighty things which thou knowest not.' 

WATCH NIGHT SERVICES IN EDINBURGH. 

When the bells of Tolbooth Church began to toll for the 
watch-night services at eight o'clock, there was not a vacant 
seat left in the hall. The presence of the Jubilee Singers also 
added greatly to the interest of the meeting, during which 
any one was allowed to sing, or pray, or speak as he might be 
moved by the Holy Ghost. Mr. Moody said he meant to 
speak a little on seven "I wills" of Christ, (Matt. iv:ic); x:32; 
xi:28; Luke v:i2, 13; John VK37; xiv:i6; xvii:24). 

Mr. Sankey sang "The Water of Life." Mr. Moody then 
read Luke v:i2, 13: "I will; be thou clean." "Some men say 
they are too vile to be received by Christ, but He says: T 
will.' John Bunyan was such a vile sinner that I do not sup- 
pose the society of Bedford would receive him, but Christ 
did. 'Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.' T will, 
be thou clean,' and immediately his leprosy departed from 
him. If there is a man here with any sin to-night, he may 
come to Christ and be cleansed, and enter 1874 with a new 
creation.' There was an abandoned drunkard in America, so 



GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. 181 

lost that all his friends forsook him. He came to Christ, and 
is now, perhaps, the finest orator that ever lived. Jesus 
Christ loves you, pities you, will cleanse you if you come to 
Him. Kings call round them great men, but Jesus calls the 
vilest round Him." 

(The Jubilee Singers here burst into "Come, Come to Jesus.") 

" 'Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I con- 
fess also before my Father which is in heaven.' After, Come 
and be made clean by Christ, comes the 'I will* of confession. 
We require boldness to confess Christ. When I visited Bos- 
ton I saw many grey heads there, but a little tow-headed Nor- 
wegian boy got up at that meeting and said, 'If I tell the world 
about Jesus, He will tell His Father about me.' " 

Colonel Davidson said, "There is nothing more difficult 
than to confess Christ in a barrackroom. A brave soldier, 
who had won the Victoria Cross, told me that he was ashamed 
to pray before all the men and used to do so in bed, but one 
night he felt that was cowardly, so he sprang up and knelt 
down, expecting a shower of boots at his head; but no! he 
was not disturbed, and the men showed him more respect ever 
afterward." 

Mr. Moody: "My friend, Mr. Balfour, says, 'Confess Christ 
at home/ Yes, at first. But when converted it is very im- 
portant to make a stand, and confess Christ everywhere. 
Take the case of the man out of whom Jesus cast a legion of 
devils; he wanted to go with Christ. Howbeit, Jesus suffered 
him not; but saith unto him, 'Go home to thy friends, and tell 
them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath 
had compassion on thee. (Mark XH9.) He was to go home 
first, but after that he went to Decapolis, and the whole re- 
gion was stirred by his preaching, and 'all men did marvel.' 
Christ said, 'Go home, go preaching.' 

NO BISHOP ORDAINED HIM, 

but off he went at once, and the effect was marvelous." Then 



i82 DVVIGHT L. MOODY. 

he spoke at length of the case of the man who was born blind 
(John ix:9). Rev. Mr. Arnot following- in a very tender 
prayer. 

"Field of Labor," was then sung- by Mr. Sankey. 

Mr. Moody resumed his comments, speaking on the "I will" 
of Matt. iv:i9. "Follow me, I will make you fishers of men." 
"Jesus kept His word to Peter. He did become a fisher of 
men, and caught in one day three thousand of them in the 
gospel net. This past year, have you caught anything? 'Fol- 
low me,' says Christ, 'and I will make you successful.' Look 
back, do you know of any saved for God? I pity the worldly 
Christians. See Lot, knocking at the doors of his son-in-law 
and relatives/and begging them with fatherly anxiety to flee 
from the doomed city. They didn't believe him. He had lost 
his power of testimony; he had no influence; leanness had 
come upon him. I pity the child of God who has no influ- 
ence. If others do not follow Christ let us. Let 1874 be a 
prosperous year to every child of God here. Let us leave our 
'nets,' and let our first thought regarding everyman be, how 
can we win him to Christ? You do not know how much you 
may be the means of doing for Christ during 1874, if you will 
only try. One may convert a hundred, and from a hundred 
ten thousand may be saved. These may win a hundred 
thousand to God. The little rivulet that rises like a thread in 
the mountain becomes at length a great river when it falls into 
the sea. Andrew, looking at those three thousand men on 
the day of Pentecost, might have called them his grandchil- 
dren. A blind man was seen carrying a lantern, and was 
asked what he did that for. To prevent others stumbling 
over me.' We are either winning souls to Christ, or others 
are stumbling over us." 

There was now a period of silent prayer, that all might win 

souls to Christ in 1874. The Jubilee Singers broke the silence 

with that beautifully plaintive melody, "Steal Away to Jesus." 

Mr. Moody continued his comments on the "I wills" to that 



GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. 183 

blessed verse, "Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast 
given me be with me where I am," etc. (John xvii:24.) "I 
have formed a strong love for the people that I have met here 
every day, and I feel very sad about going away. Death will 
make sad separations. It is now on the stroke of the last hour. 
A year hence a good many here will be in their graves. Thank 
God for the great day coming when we will be gathered round 
the Master. Perhaps that day is nearer than we think it. The 
Bible is full of T wills.' We have been three hours at it and 
have only looked at seven most sweet ones." 

Thus the services continued, growing more solemn as the 
last moments drew nearer; personal requests for prayer, 
praise, and brief, fervent petitions, then a sacred stillness, the 
felt presence of the Master, and the brooding of the Spirit of 
grace, came upon the hearts of the whole assembly. The emo- 
tions could not be longer suppressed. The gates seemed to 
stand ajar; heaven never seemed to be so near. It was as if 
their hearts were pressed close to the heart of God. 

Five minutes before the hour struck, all were engaged in 
silent prayer — the deep, suppressed breathing, the half-stifled 
sob of penitence and devotion — then the bells pealed forth joy- 
ously to usher in another New Year of blessed opportunity. 
With two verses of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," "Thou, O 
Christ, Art all I want," and the benediction by Mr. Moody, 
that great meeting closed. Then suddenly Mr. Sankey and 
the Jubilee Singers, with surcharged hearts, burst forth into 
joyous and triumphant praise, the like of which had never be- 
fore been heard in any service in Scotland. 

Such was the introduction to the year 1874. For Moody 
and Sankey it was to find a glorious issue at its close in Man- 
chester, England, where Mr. Moody declared that it had been 
the best year that he had ever had — the one in which he had 
been more used of God in the conversion of souls than in all 
the preceding seventeen years of his life. 



184 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

THE GREAT AWAKENING. 

The awakening of Edinburgh was the arousing of all Scot- 
land. The week of prayer was observed with a faith and fer- 
vor before unknown. The reports of the meetings had gone 
throughout all the land. The one purpose to have the Lord 
Jesus exalted and made supreme, and His glory in the tri- 
umph of His gospel, and the salvation of sinners, made mani- 
fest, united the ministers and Christian people of every name 
in the metropolis of Scotland. Tens of thousands of men, 
women and children of all classes of the community crowded 
the halls and churches during all the weeks the meetings 
continued. Multitudes of men assembled in the Corn Ex- 
change; and throngs of women in the Assembly Halls and 
adjoining churches on the Lord's day to hear words whereby 
they might be saved; while on the week-days every place 
where services were held was crowded with eager, anxious 
throngs of Christians and hundreds seeking the way of life. 
In the inquiry rooms the old man of seventy five and the lads 
of a dozen years sat side by side; soldiers from the castle, and 
students from the University, the backsliding, the intemper- 
ate, the sceptic, the rich and the poor, the educated and illiter- 
ate—all seeking the way of life. One. minister said after but a 
brief experience in these meetings, "I would not for the wealth 
of a world have the recollection of what I have seen and heard 
during the past week blotted out from my memory. * * * * 
It has been like eating of angels' bread, first to hear the cry 
of conviction, and yet more, to hear at length the utterance 
of the joy of reconciliation and peace." Dr. Horatius Bonar 
declared his belief "that there was scarcely a Christian house- 
hold in all Edinburgh in which there was not one or more per- 
sons converted during that revival." The wave of joy that 
swept over that city where upwards of three thousand pro- 
fessed to have accepted of Christ as their Savior made it seem 
more like heaven than earth. 



GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. ' 185 

THE GRACIOUS VISITATION OF GLASGOW. 

After a two weeks' visit at Dundee with precious results, 
Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey went to Glasgow to begin the 
most remarkable series of meetings they had ever enjoyed. 
Thousands of names were about to be enrolled in the Lamb's 
Book of Life. If there is joy in the presence of the angels of 
God over one sinner that repenteth, what waves of intense 
delight were to pass over the celestial hosts as they looked 
upon the multitudes now walking on the banks of the beautiful 
Clyde, that would one day be found upon the banks of the 
River of Life that floweth forth from beneath the throne of 
God and the Lamb? 

It was on Sunday, eighth of February, 1874, that the evan- 
gelists at nine o'clock, in the city hall, surrounded by three 
thousand Sabbath school teachers, began the Lord's work. 
What a change seventeen years had wrought in the position 
of Moody! He who had been obliged to gather a class for 
himself off the streets of Chicago before even a mission school 
would give him a place, is now greeted by three thousand 
teachers who are thrilled by his presence, and who seek 
through him God's richest blessings on their labors. They 
would salute him on his apostolic journey through the cities 
of the British realms with the shout, "Give God the praise." 

Mr. Moody took this way of engaging the prayer and the 
personal interest and sympathy of three thousand Christian 
workers for Christ at the very beginning of his labors. His 
address made the privilege of working for the Lord appear 
so honorable and so pleasant — especially when he called the 
laborers to leave the householder to give whatsoever he might 
think best and not stop to bargain first "for a penny a day," 
that many felt truly humbled, and all were fired with a new 
desire and zeal to win souls — a work of privilege which an- 
gels might almost envy the children of men. 

The evening service of that first Sabbath was fixed at half 
past six at the City Hall, but more than an hour before the 



i86 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

time it was crowded in every corner, and the immense multi- 
tude outside were invited to the three nearest churches, which 
were speedily filled. Mr. Moody's sermon on 'The Gospel' 
was very earnest and powerful, while the singing of Mr. 
Sankey was at once felt to be the preaching of the gospel in a 
new and most attractive, as well as most impressive, melting 
form. The daily prayer meeting of Monday following was 
thronged by above fifteen hundred people. These noon-day 
meetings had been maintained, with great blessing ever since 
the week of prayer. As one of the ministers said, Tt is not 
preaching that Scotland needs; it is prayer and power." And 
there the power was bestowed and believers were filled with 
the Spirit to overflowing, and went forth inspired with a new 
and a mighty love for the unsaved. 

Thursday evening's meeting was for men only. The City 
Hall was crowded with four thousand men. The very appear- 
ance of that sea of faces was solemnizing, as every one gazed 
upon Mr. Moody with fixed and intense earnestness. 

"EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN," 

was his theme. Special prayer had been offered for his ser- 
vice, and it was marvelously answered. Mr. Moody spoke 
with wonderful power, and the Spirit moved so mightily upon 
them that at times the whole audience was bowed down under 
the truth. Mr. Sankey's singing was with great effect. 
"Jesus of Nazareth Passeth By," brought great tears from 
eyes long unused to weep. More than a thousand remained 
for prayer and conversation. One of the results of these 
meetings was a call for the Christian young men of 
the city to meet with Mr. Moody at Ewing Place Chapel to 
consult as to what they might do to forward the Lord's work. 
In response to a request from Mr. Moody the whole number 
present, nearly seven hundred, rose and promised to band 
themselves together to carry out his suggestions to watch 
for souls, and to lay hold on other young men. They were to 



GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. 187 

meet every night at Ewing Place Chapel, their purpose to try 
to reach as many as they could out of Glasgow's seventy-five 
thousand young men. 

On Thursday evening February 24th, a memorable scene 
occurred in the chapel. About one thousand young men had 
been addressed by a deputation of four students from Edin- 
burgh. Dr. Cairns followed, then Rev. J. H. Wilson, of Edin- 
burgh brought them to the point, "Why not to-night?" Mr. 
Moody coming in just at that time from City Hall, felt the im- 
pression that was upon the meeting, and proposed at once 
that an opportunity should be given for decision. The three 
front rows of seats were cleared, and on invitation given for 
all who desired to find the Savior, to come forward, they were 
filled at once; another three rows also were cleared and as 
speedily filled, and a third time with the same result. Some 
one present counted one hundred and one; and it was ever 
afterwards called the "One hundred and one night." During 
prayer intense emotion was manifested by many; and Chris- 
tian friends remained talking with the anxious till nearly mid- 
night. It is said that this was the first time the so-called 
"altar services" were ever seen in Glasgow. 

MEETINGS IN A SHIPBUILDING YARD. 

At one of the noon meetings, a gentleman brought Mr. 
Moody a paper signed by five hundred workmen in one of 
the ship yards of Glasgow requesting a visit from him during 
their noon intermission. . Accordingly, on March 30th, 
Messrs. Moody and Sankey spent half an hour at the plant of 
Alexander Stephen and Sons. Nearly two thousand work- 
men and all the partners of the firm were present. Mr. San- 
key opened the meeting by singing with great pathos the well- 
known and favorite solo, "Jesus of Nazareth Passeth By." 
Prayer was offered, and Mr. Sankey sang another solo, "The 
Lifeboat." Mr. Moody then delivered a very solemn and 
stirring address from the words "Behold I bring you glad tid- 



188 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

ings of great joy," and a deep impression seemed to have been 
produced. At the close he expressed the delight he had exper- 
ienced in addressing such an interesting audience, intimating 
that arrangements might be made for similar aid from time to 
time to those seeking thus to honor the Savior, and obtain 
blessings for themselves and others. Mr. Stephen, speaking 
in the name of both employers and employes, expressed 
thanks to Messrs. Moody and Sankey, (this is quite the fash- 
ion over there), for their kindness in thus complying with the 
requests sent to them last week, and exhorted all present to 
show their gratitude by accepting Christ. The meeting was 
brought to a close by Mr. Sankey singing the solo, "Prodigal 
Child." 

This promise of Mr. Moody's was kept by a large choir con- 
senting to go down twice a week for two months to sing for 
them, and by this means, with prayers and brief addresses, 
many of the workmen were led to the Savior. The superin- 
tendent, Mr. Howie, said that scarcely a day passed without 
his having men come to him anxious about their souls, who 
had been awakened by the singing of the "Gospel Hymns." 

THE CRYSTAL PALACE MEETINGS. 

One of the most remarkable gatherings during the three 
months of their stay in Glasgow was a great convention of 
Christian workers — an all-day meeting held in the Kibble 
Crystal Palace, in the Botanic Gardens, on the 16th of April. 
The Palace, which can be seated for six thousand people, 
was filled to overflowing. Nearly two thousand of these were 
ministers and office-bearers from Scotland and the North of 
England. Dr. Cairns declared this "Christian Convention to 
be unparalleled in the history of the Scotch, perhaps of Brit- 
ish Christianity." 

The interest in these wonderful meetings culminated in the 
farewell meetings of the last week, May 12th to 17th, inclusive, 
which were also held in the Crystal Palace. 



GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. 189 

On Tuesday evening the meeeting was meant especially for 
warehouse girls and girls in shops who had been prevented by 
their late hours of labor from attending the other services. 
Over seven thousand five hundred tickets had been distri- 
buted, hundreds more had applied for them in vain. When 
the building had been crowded with over five thousand young 
women, the thousands outside were addressed by various 
clergymen — the greatest good humor prevailing even where 
they could hear nothing. Wednesday evening was for men, 
and upwards of seven thousand packed themselves within 
the great building and other thousands again heard the word 
in the open air. Thursday evening was open to all, but soon 
the doors had to be shut. Inquiry meetings were held in a 
church opposite after all these services, with precious re- 
sults. On Friday came the young converts' meeting. 
Tickets had been given only to those who had given names, 
residence and names of their ministers — for everybody in 
Scotland belongs in some parish. About three thousand five 
hundred had received tickets on these conditions, the rest of 
the space being filled with Christian workers. 

In speaking of this memorable occasion one writer says: 
"Mr. Moody's subject was, 'What God is able to do.' He was 
grand, and so happy! The ministers were a sight! They be- 
came quite wrapt up and excited. It was a treat to watch 
them. Moody talked a long time; Sankey breaking in with 
'Daniel's Band,' and 'More to Follow.' But we could have 
listened long, all night, I believe." Mr. Moody in speaking 
of it, said, "It seemed as if we were then receiving the Spirit 
as a seal on all our meetings. 

The Saturday noon service was for the children, while the 
evening service was specially for working people. But Sun- 
day was 

THE CROWNING DAY OF ALL. 

It was a lovely May morning. The early service was for 
the factory and shop girls, and by nine o'clock the Palace was 



igo DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

filled. Mr. Moody spoke to them from the text, "There was 
no room for them in the inn." 

The evening meeting was announced for half-past six 
o'clock, but an hour before that the great building was full 
both inside and outside, as an Irishman would say. Several 
ministers, with Mr. Sankey to lead the singing, began the ser- 
vices there, but by the time Mr. Moody arrived the crowds 
filled all the space between the Palace and the Botanic Gar- 
dens. The estimates of the great throng ranged from fifteen 
to thirty thousand, some policemen present putting the num- 
ber much higher. On seeing the multitudes, Air. Moody de- 
termined to preach from the carriage, in which he was driven 
to a central and commanding position. When this fact be 
came known to those within the building, they quickly gath- 
ered on the outskirts of the crowd. To those who were near 
enough to hear easily, Air. Moody seemed to surpass himself 
in earnestness, loudness and force. Mr. Sankey's voice was 
distinctly heard all over that vast assembly, as he sang "Noth- 
ing but Leaves," and other solos. The singing of hymns by 
those thousands of voices, sounding forth on that quiet Sab- 
bath evening was deeply impressive — the whole scene one the 
like of which had never been witnessed before. When the 
out-door service was over, the multitudes slowly dispersing, 
five thousand anxious hearts, and Christian workers gathered 
in the Palace to hear for the last time the voice of one whom 
they had learned to love with such deep affection. That meet- 
ing continued till long after ten o'clock. It was a service of 
praise and prayer and of testimony and thanksgiving for what 
God had wrought among them. Many were greatly moved 
as Mr. Moody spoke his last solemn words. And then, as 
the twilight was rapidly deepening, one last appeal was made 
to those who felt that they were still unsaved, but desired to 
find the Savior. The emotion became intense as four or five 
hundred, perhaps many more, quietly rose all over the house, 
and as quietly resumed their places. Was it not the Spirit of 



GREAT WORK IN SCOTLAND. 191 

God brooding over the darkness and chaos of unhappy souls 
with the promise, "At evening time there shall be light"? 

Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey returned at once to Edinburgh 
to hold three days services before starting on their northern 
tour. Those were days of great joy in that city, where God 
had done such great things for them. Rev. Robert Howie, 
of Glasgow, gave witness to the gracious and wonderful work 
wrought there. He stated that the three thousand, five hun- 
dred converts attending their farewell meeting did not repre- 
sent more than one-third of those who had been converted, 
and at that last service in Crystal Palace, "about two thous- 
and rose up asking to be prayed for — seeking the Savior." 

Thursday evening, while yet there were several hours of 
sunshine to fall upon that ancient and glorious old city of 
Edinburgh, and upon her beautiful hills, tens of thousands of 
people hastened out to Queen's Park, on the way to Saint 
Anthony's Well, to attend the five o'clock farewell service. 
The word was with power. Earnestly and faithfully, was the 
gospel once more proclaimed, so simply that all could under- 
stand. It was a day of grace to many, a day of thanksgiving 
to many thousands more. Then the last solo of gospel en- 
treaty, the last prayer, and the benediction. "There never was 
such a scene witnessed in Edinburgh, or anywhere else, so far 
as we have ever heard." 

Through all that lovely summer, through all the cities of the 
north and west, the evangelists went everywhere, preaching the 
glorious gospel of the Son of God; "and great grace was upon 
them all." On the morning of September 4th, they took 
steamer on the Clyde for Belfast, Ireland, after more than 
nine months of harvest toil in the vineyard of the Master. 
The song of the reapers was still filling the air and floating 
far out to sea; while above all might have been heard the 
voices of the lately redeemed ones chanting "The Lord hath 
done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Praise ye the 
Lord." 




The Great Revival in Philadelphia. 

DESIRE here to acknowledge the extreme courtesy 
and kindness shown me in being granted permission 
to make use of the "Life of George H. Stuart" writ- 
ten by himself, in preparing this work of Dwight L. 
Moody. I believe it is not too much to say that for a 
period extending over thirty years Mr. Moody had no warm- 
er hearted, no more devoted, nor more faithful friend; none 
to whom he owed a larger debt of gratitude for personal as- 
sistance rendered and kindness shown, than Mr. George- H. 
Stuart, the sweetest tempered, the most spiritually minded, 
the most unselfish and the most generous Christian philan- 
thropist that Philadelphia has ever known. The Lord Jesus 
swung his second great commandment on a jewelled balance 
when he said "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." If 
ever a man exceeded that standard of duty it was Mr. Stuart, 
who literally made himself poor that he might make many 
rich. A name inseparably associated with that of Mr. Stu- 
art's in the most wonderful revival services that America has 
ever seen, is that of Mr. John Wanamaker, whose bow still 
abides in its strength. There was no sight more interesting 
and touching than the daily presence upon the platform of 
Messrs. George H. Stuart and John Wanamaker — the gray 
head and the brown head consulting and rejoicing together — 
the one overcoming the infirmities of advancing years, and 
bringing forth fruit in old age with twofold the fire and en- 
thusiasm which God gives to most of us younger men in our 
best days; the other consecrating with greatest devotion his 
executive ability and gifts of mind and voice to the service of 
God. 

Mr. Stuart thus writes: "The great event in the religious 
history of our city during the year 1875 was the series of 




John Wanamaker. 




Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman. 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 193 

evangelistic meetings held by Mr. D. L. Moody in the old 
freight depot of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Even before the 
war I knew of Mr. Moody as a faithful laborer in the Sabbath 
school cause in Chicago. In the labors of the Christian 
Commission he was one of our most efficient workers, and 
the first of our delegates to enter Richmond after its evacua- 
tion by the Confederate government. After the war it was 
my privilege to bring him to Philadelphia in 1866, before he 
had become widely known to the country, and it was with 
some difficulty that I procured any church for his evangelistic 
meetings. I finally obtained the Central Presbyterian 
Church, of which Dr. Alexander Reed had become pastor 
through my recommendation. 

Mr. Moody soon crowded the house and the 
lecture room at the close of his meetings was 
thronged with inquirers. Yet some really good peo- 
ple said it was a mistake to have the pulpit occupied by a man 
who murdered the King's English as Mr. Moody certainly 
did when he first began to preach. I replied that I cared lit- 
tle or nothing about his grammar so long as he brought sin- 
ners to Christ. And Dr. Newton, of Epiphany Church was 
of the same opinion, for he was so impressed by his work 
that he opened that large church to him. 

Upon the return of. Messrs. Moody and Sankey from Eng- 
land, in 1875, there was a great desire expressed in Philadel- 
phia to have them visit our city, Mr. Moody never having 
been here since he and Mr. Sankey, in 1871, had united their 
talents for the service of the Master. At one of the largest 
ministerial meetings ever held in Philadelphia, in the lecture 
room of the Arch Street Methodist Church, over which Rev. 
Dr. Harper presided, a unanimous and cordial invitation was 
extended to these evangelists to visit our city at an early day. 
A committee of ministers, of which Dr. Newton was chair- 
man, was appointed to superintend the spiritual part of the 
work, while a committee of laymen, of which I was made 
13 



194 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

chairman, was constitued to look after the business matters 
in connection with the proposed meetings. On account of 
failing health I at first declined to serve, but Mr. Moody, who 
was then the guest of Mr. Wanamaker, hearing that I had de- 
clined, insisted on my acting, saying that he would pray for 
me. And here I may add that for the first time in thirty years 
I was entirely free from asthma for over six months follow- 
ing this promise, and that during all the cold winter weather, 
and amid such exposure as I for years had not dared to en- 
dure. Mrs. Stuart was so much impressed by this fact that 
she recently wrote to Mrs. Moody to get Mr. Moody to pray 
for me again. 

When our business committee met the first question was, 
where shall we find a building large enough and central 
enough for the intended meetings? Various halls were 
named, including the large Academy of Music; but I insisted 
that none of these would be large enough to warrant us in 
bringing these evangelists to Philadelphia, and that we must 
raise the money necessary to erect a special building for their 
use. At this time I, with one other gentleman, was aware 
of the fact that Mr. Wanamaker had been negotiating with 
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for the purchase of the 
large freight depot at Thirteenth and Market streets, which 
had recently been abandoned and which is now covered by 
his immense warehouse. As the offer of Mr. Wanamaker 
had not been accepted, I applied to Mr. Thomas A. Scott, the 
president of the road, to know on what terms he would rent 
the freight depot to us for the proposed meetings. His re- 
ply was, "One dollar per annum, provided you will give us 
possession on thirty days' notice." I cabled this to Air. 
Wanamaker, who was in Europe at the time, and he replied 
that he was going to start at once for home. 

I recall distinctly the thrill of glad surprise that ran through 
the audience at the next ministers' meeting when Air. Stuart 
stated that when a gentleman now on his way across the At- 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 195 

lantic should arrive, the question as to a place would soon be 
settled; and the whisper was that Mr. Wanamaker was going 
to buy the old depot. Soon after his return the purchase was 
completed and the free use of it was granted for the meetings 
as long as desired. In order to prepare it for these meetings 
a large amount of money was required, but this was quickly 
subscribed, an architect was secured and the vast edifice was 
fitted with a complete wooden interior structure to deaden 
the noise from the street, with new floors, a platform to seat 
one thousand persons, and eight thousand and nine hundred 
and four chairs on the main floor; thirteen hundred and four 
on the platform, and seven hundred and fifty-two in the 
committee rooms. These ten thousand nine hundred and 
sixty chairs I purchased and had shipped from Connecticut, 
at a cost of twenty-eight cents per chair. This I believe was 
the largest lot of chairs ever bought in this country. 

Two-thirds of the way the floor sloped upward until it 
reached Market street front, an arrangement which gave 
every one in the audience equal opportunity of seeing and 
hearing. A vestibule thirty-three feet wide ran around three 
sides of the building, and ten doors gave egress from this — 
the largest being the three on Market street, which were the 
chief entrances. There were four main aisles from eight to 
ten feet in width, and four cross aisles six to eight feet wide. 
Speaking tubes gave immediate communication between the 
chief usher and his three hundred unpaid assistants, and be- 
tween his platform and the speakers' platform, as also with 
the Central Police Station; there was telegraphic communi- 
cation. The building was lighted by about a thousand gas 
jets. 

Although the hall was so large, its acoustic properties were 
found admirable, and Mr. Moody could be heard perfectly in 
any part of the building. 

While I was superintending the work of preparation, on a 
cold day in October the building being unheated, one of our 



196 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

prominent ministers happened to come in, and asked me how 
many seats were being provided. When I told him the num- 
ber he expressed great astonishment, saying, "Why, Spur- 
geon could not fill these chairs on every week night but Sat- 
urday, and do you expect Moody to fill them?" I told him I 
did. Shortly afterwards this same minister said to a friend of 
mine, after relating the circumstance referred to, that he 
never before thought that I was a fit subject for an insane 
asylum. While the doors were closed on a cold winter night 
in January and orders had been given to allow no other per- 
sons to come in, the house being crowded, this same minister 
knocked at the door, and had his card sent up to me on the 
platform with a request that I would have him let in, which 
I did. 

"From November, 1875, until April, 1876, this vast hall was 
so crowded at times and that in all weathers, that the street 
cars were blocked up by the throngs outside seeking admis- 
sion. People came from far and near in the country, and a 
day seldom passed without my receiving many letters asking 
me to secure seats for the writers. Among these letters there 
came one from an eminent judge of the Supreme Court, ask- 
ing how it would be possible for the members of that court to 
gain admission without being obliged to mingle with the 
throng that waited in the streets for the opening of the 
doors. After fixing the night, I replied that I should be 
obliged to place the judges under arrest at the corner of Thir- 
teenth and Chestnut streets, where a band of police officers 
would conduct them to the platform. It may not be amiss to 
state that Mr. Moody's preaching was not in vain in the case 
of one, at least, of these gentlemen, who was converted in 
answer to the prayers of a Christian wife. 

"Among other distinguished men from a distance whom I 
was enabled to furnish with seats on the platform were Presi- 
dent Grant and most of the members of his cabinet, who 
were accompanied there by Mr. Childs, at whose house I had 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 197 

dined with them the previous day, when it was arranged that 
I should secure them seats for the next evening. The only 
one of all the meetings that 1 missed attending was on this 
evening, when I dined with Mr. Childs, and this I would not 
have done but for the prospect of securing the attendance of 
General Grant and his cabinet. 

"Next after the power and spirituality of Mr. Moody's 
preaching, the most notable thing in the management of these 
meetings was his generalship in handling his audience of over 
ten thousand men and women of all classes in society, while 
dealing with topics which profoundly stir the emotions. 

"I can truly say that his leadership was wonderful. Every 
one was impressed by it who gave a moment's thought to the 
difficulties of the situation. No interruptions, no ejacula- 
tions, even, were allowed. When a colored woman could no 
longer keep in her 'Hallelujah/ he stopped preaching and said, 
We will sing 'Rock of Ages,' while the^ person is taken out.' 
After the singing he quietly said, 'In a great audience like this 
it is necessary to have perfect quiet; and, although, I do not 
object to a hearty 'amen!' when a man feels it in his heart, it 
will be much better for you to wait till you get outside, and 
then you can go all the way home shouting 'amen!' as loud as 
you please.' 

"It was this wise insistence upon self control which saved 
Mr. Moody's meetings from those nervous and physical ex- 
travagances which sometimes have attended even a genuine 
work of grace. 

MR. MOODY TOOK COMMAND 

on the very first day of the meeting, in a pleasant and cour- 
teous, but firm way. He told the huge audience gathered for 
the first time and most of them entire strangers to him, 'The 
doors will be closed when the service begins because we have 
all quiet during these services. We shall close these doors if 
the place is only half-full; and if the president of the United 



198 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 



States comes after that he can't get in. If the chairman of the 
committee, (meaning myself), is not here by half-past seven, 
we shall keep him out.' 

'The arrangements as to the character and order of the 
meetings were made with Dr. Newton's committee of minis- 
ters. 

THREE SERVICES A DAY 

were held in the depot, except on Saturday, some for men 
only, others exclusively for women. Some were held especial- 
ly for Christian workers, while others were for the general 
public, and were followed by inquiry meetings, in which Mr. 
Moody had the aid of a large staff of ministers and laymen, 
and devoted Christian women. On Sabbath there were three 
such services, Mr. Moody preaching at all three, in addition to 
his week-night labors." 

After the main noon-day services were over in the old de- 
pot, special meetings for young men were held in the Metho- 
dist Church, corner of Broad and Arch streets, which were 
conducted by Mr. John Wanamaker with great prudence and 
skill. Opportunity for giving testimony was afforded the 
young converts, many requests for prayer were offered, and 
a great many young men were brought to a full decision for 
Christ. 

THE NOON-DAY PRAYER MEETINGS 

on Fridays were always devoted to temperance and a great 
many drunkards were redeemed. 

On Friday, December 31st, Mr. Moody spoke on the "Res- 
urrection Power of Christ," from the text, Matt. XXVIII :i8, 
"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." In 
speaking briefly on this theme Mr. Moody said that during the 
past week a prominent Christian man had said that he did not 
believe that a woman who had sunk very low through intem- 
perance could be reclaimed; "But when we come to this chap- 
ter and read the words of the Risen Savior, we must sec that 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 199 

there is hope for every drunkard on the face of the earth. His 
grace is sufficient for every man's need." 

Mr. Sankey led in the singing of "Yield not to temptation," 
and then the meeting was thrown open for testimony from 
reformed men. One after another testified to having been 
snatched as brands from the burning. One young man re- 
lated in a very touching manner the story of his dissipated 
life, how he was redeemed by the faith and the prayers of his 
mother. The appetite for liquor was still strong in him, 
though God had kept him from temptation for the three years 
past. 

The year closed with a most memorable 

WATCH-NIGHT SERVICE. 

Long before the meeting was to begin — nine P. M. — the 
building was crowded and so great was the pressure that sev- 
eral ladies fainted. Upwards of twelve thousand persons were 
present. Mr. Moody preached a very powerful sermon from 
the text I Kings, XVIII :2i, "How long halt ye between two 
opinions?" Mr. Sankey sang, "Rejoice, be glad," and "Nine- 
ty and Nine." Mr. Moody then said he would turn the whole 
service into 

AN INQUIRY MEETING. 

"Here is Dr. Plummer," he said, "seventy-four years old. 
For fifty-five years he has been sitting at the feet of Jesus. I 
am going to put him on the witness stand and question him 
before you all. The doctor will take the pulpit." The ven- 
erable old man, with flowing white hair and beard, stepped 
forward, and Mr. Moody, assuming the attitude of an inquirer, 
presented one after another many of the difficulties and ob- 
jections that are often made by those who are awakened to 
some sense of their need of a Savior. 

The doctor answered with wonderful force and felicity. 
These questions and answers were printed in tract form, and 



200 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

very widely circulated. We present just a few of them, some- 
what condensed, but in the very words which were used. 

Mr. Moody: "What is conviction?" 

Dr. Plummer: "Conviction is a clear persuasion that a thing 
is true. Religious conviction is a clear, settled persuasion of 
fiv^e things: First, that I am ignorant and need instruction; 
second, that I am guilty, and deserve wrath and not pardon; 
third, that my heart is vile, and must be renewed; fourth, that 
my condition is miserable and that I am poor and naked, and 
blind and wretched; fifth, that I am without strength; I cannot 
save myself." 

"What is the use of conviction?" 

"It is to light up the soul to the faith of Jesus." 

"Is any amount of distress necessary?" 

"Lydia had no distress; God opened her heart and she gave 
attention to the things spoken by Paul. The jailer of Philippi 
would not have accepted Jesus without alarm. If a man will 
accept the Son of God, he need have no trouble." 

"What is conversion?" 

"To be converted is to turn from self, self-will, self-right- 
eousness, and from sin, and to be turned to Christ. The turn- 
ing point is man's conversion, is his acceptance of Jesus 
Christ." 

"Why must a sinner come to Christ for salvation?" 

"Because Christ is the only Savior. All the angels in 
heaven and all the saints on earth can not save one sinner." 

"Can a man be saved here to-night before twelve o'clock? — 
saved all at once?" 

"In my Bible I read of three thousand men gathered to- 
gether one morning, all of them murderers, their hands stained 
with the blood of the Son of God. They met in the morning, 
and before night they were all baptized members of Christ. 
God added unto the church daily such as should be saved. If 
you are ever saved, there must be a moment when you accept 
Christ and renounce the world." 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 201 

"What is repentance?" 

"It is turning to God with abhorrence of sin, and cleaving to 
Christ with promise of obedience. A thorough change of 
heart is followed by a thorough change of character." 

"How can I know that I am saved?" 

"The fact that God is true. It is the word of the living God, 
whose name is Amen. 'He that believeth on the Son of God 
hath everlasting life.' " 

"What if I haven't got faith enough?" 

"Glory be to God, if I can touch the hem of my Savior's gar- 
ment, I shall be saved. A little faith is as truly faith as a 
great deal of faith. O, come and trust Him fully. Cry as did 
the disciples, 'Lord, increase our faith.' " 

"But I don't know that I have the right kind of faith." 

"The thief on the cross did not say, 'if I had a little more 
faith I would ask thee to remember me when thou comest into 
thy kingdom.' He offered his prayer in the faith he had, and 
Christ accepted him." 

"But I don't feel that I love him enough." 

"And you never will. To all eternity you never will love 
Him as much as He deserves. 

" 'Had I ten thousand, thousand tongues, 

Not one should silent be; 
Had I ten thousand, thousand hearts, 
I'd give them all to thee.' " 

"When temptation comes it is so much stronger than my 
resolution that I yield. What shall I do?" 

"Look to Jesus. He was 'in all points tempted like as we 
are yet without sin.' Christ can give us the strength of giants. 
Jesus is the best Master, and the best Friend in the universe. 
Glory be to His name forever." 

As the hour of twelve drew near, Mr. Moody made a pas- 
sionate appeal to those present to come to Jesus before the 
old year should expire. While all were on their knees en- 
gaged in prayer, Mr. Sankey broke the solemn silence by sing- 



202 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

ing in tones most plaintive and impressive /Almost Persuad- 
ed.' A magnetic power was felt in every heart and many sup- 
pressed sobs were heard. 

The clock struck twelve, and with a "Happy New Year" 
from Mr. Moody the great Centennial year had begun. 

What glorious days had crowded the year since that watch- 
night service in Sheffield! Edinburgh, London, Philadel- 
phia! Perhaps the names of a hundred thousand converts 
had been enrolled on high; the spiritual power of hundreds of 
thousands of Christians had been most wonderfully increased; 
their lives had been enriched beyond all power of language to 
express. Marvelous baptisms of the Holy Spirit had been 
poured out in answer to prayer. 

The writer of this brief sketch of the life and work of Mr. 
Moody had been privileged to spend the year from May, 1874, 
to 1875, m Edinburgh, and had the pleasure of attending the 
last service Mr. Sankey held in the great Assembly Hall. 

The papers there were giving full reports of the great meet- 
ings Moody and Sankey were holding in London. But the 
students were specially interested in the great blessing follow- 
ing the labors of Drummond and other delegates from the new 
college. 

Returning from Scotland and called to a pastorate in Phila- 
delphia, in the summer of 1875, a wide door was opened for 
work during the continuance here of the Moody meetings. I 
have already narrated what wonderful success everywhere at- 
tended Drummond's meeting for young men. From April 
1874, to July 1875, he had followed up the work of the evan- 
gelists and was by their side in London. He thought he had 
found his vocation, but in a conversation with a very dear 
friend it had been shown him "how the evangelist's career 
was apt to be a failure — perhaps a few years of enthusiasm and 
blessing, then carelessness, no study, no spiritual fruits, too 
often a sad collapse." That sent him back to his last year at 
college. Yet Drummond found it very hard to resist the 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 203 

appeal which Mr. Moody sent him to come to Philadelphia; 
and judging from the previous year's labors we are not sur- 
prised at the urgency of that appeal: 

Philadelphia, Dec. 4, 1875. 
My Dear Drummond: — The work among young men in 
this country is growing splendidly. I am glad I went to Eng- 
land to learn how to reach young men. Could you come over 
and help us? I think you would get a few thousand souls on 
these shores if you should come. You do not know how much 
I want you with me. Come if you possibly can. * * * * May 
God bless you and make you thrive in His kingdom, is my 
prayer. Yours with a heart full of love, 

D. L. Moody. 

It were idle to wonder what greater blessing had come to 
our young men if Drummond had accepted the invitation. But 
it was not to be. I refer to it here only to recall the fact that 
this attachment grew stronger to the very last between these 
two men, who were living almost at the very antipodes of so- 
cial and intellectual culture. 

DRUMMOND'S LOYALTY. 

No more signal proof could have been given of Drum- 
mond's enthusiasm for the gospel and loyalty to his old friends 
than was given on the occasion of his first visit to America in 
1879. He was in Boston, with but five days to spare before 
sailing for home. He had an invitation to meet Longfellow 
and Holmes at dinner. But he learned that eight hundred 
miles away by Lake Erie were two men who were more to him 
than philosopher or poet, and it only required a moment's 
thought to convince him that a visit to America would be 
much more than incomplete without a visit to Mr. Moody and 
Mr. Sankey. And thus he writes of his decision: 

"It was hard, I must say, to give up Longfellow, but I am of 
those who think that the world is not dying for poets so much 



204 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

as for preachers. I set off at once. * * * * Neither of the 
men seemed the least changed. There they were before me, 
the same men; Mr. Sankey down to the faultless set of his 
black neck tie; Mr. Moody to the chronic crush of his collar. 
I can scarcely say I have much to record that would be in 
itself news. For my own part I am glad of this. We do not 
want anything new in revivals. We want always the old' 
factors — the living Spirit of God, the living Word of God, the 
old Gospel. We want crowds coming to hear, crowds made 
up of the old elements, perishing men and women finding their 
way to prayer meeting, Bible reading and inquiry room. These 
were all to be seen in Cleveland. It was the same as in Eng- 
land and Scotland. I was especially pleased to find that it 
was the same as regards quietness. I had expected to find 
revival work in America more exciting; but, although a deep 
work was beginning, everything was calm. There was move- 
ment, but no agitation; there was power in the meetings, but 
no frenzy. And the secret of that probably lay here, that in 
the speaker himself there was earnestness but no bigotry, and 
enthusiasm, but no superstition." 

Like many other pastors who for weeks gave their even- 
ings to their own special services, I gave all the other time I 
could spare to the meetings in the ol'd depot. From among 
the many remarkable conversions occurring at the inquiry 
meetings one may be given as illustrative of the deep power of 
conviction which followed the mighty appeals of Mr. Moody. 

It was at the close of a noon-day service and the inquiry 
room for men on the east side of the great audience room was 
filled with some two hundred anxious men and Christian 
workers. Prayer had just been offered for the blessing of the 
Holy Spirit, when a man near whom I was standing called 
out, "Here is a man who has not heard a prayer before for 
seven years. He wants somebody to pray for him." I 
stepped to his side and kneeled to pray with him. In a con- 
versation following I learned that he had only arrived in the 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 205 

city from Baltimore at eleven o'clock that morning. Passing 
the building he was attracted by the singing and by the power 
of the Spirit he had been brought under deepest conviction of 
sin. He had fallen under the power of strong drink and by 
reason of his bad habits had lost situation, reputation, money 
and friends. But he accepted at once, and with a glad heart 
the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ our Lord, united 
with the church of which I then was pastor, and continues 
there till this day, a most consistent, exemplary and honored 
member. 

SOME SPECIAL MATTERS 

of great interest may here be summarized in closing this 
sketch of the great revival in Philadelphia. 

The expenses of this remarkable and most blessed series of 
meetings was upwards of forty thousand dollars. This was 
the entire expense account, including the fitting up of the old 
depot, the enormous amount of advertising and the running 
cost of management. Not one dollar of this went to either 
Mr. Moody or Mr. Sankey, nor would Mr. Moody allow any 
collections to be taken up at any of the meetings. This re- 
quired that the entire amount should be raised by private sub- 
scription, and that this was accomplished speaks volumes of 
praise for that business. committee of which Mr. George H. 
Stuart was chairman, and Mr. John R. Whitney was the treas- 
urer. 

The most important, perhaps, of all special meetings held 
were those of the Christian Convention, called to meet on 
January 19th and 20th. This convention was attended by 
over twenty-five hundred ministers and laymen. Many of 
these reported very precious revivals following their return to 
their various fields of labor. Special blessings also attended 
the fifteen daily prayer meetings that ran parallel with the 
meetings in the old depot and thus the people in all sections of 
the city were kept in closest touch with the central meetings. 



206 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

To say that ten thousand persons were added to the 
churches in the city and the vicinity as the direct or indirect re- 
sults of these meetings, would not seem an exaggeration. Sev- 
enteen thousand copies of a little book for inquirers were sent 
out to those whose names had been given as such. 

Very full reports of the meetings and sermons were pub- 
lished in all the secular and religious papers and extensive ac- 
counts were sent throughout all the country by the Associated 
Press. The whole country was roused, and everywhere the 
churches were filled with great expectations. New zeal was 
awakened, and most earnest prayers were daily offered that 
our whole land might be blessed as wonderfully as England, 
Ireland and Scotland had been. 

These meetings in Philadelphia, which closed on Friday 
evening, February 4th, with an immense throng in the old 
depot, were almost the beginning of that wider reputation and 
most glorious success which was to follow Mr. Moody for al- 
most twenty-five years more as an evangelist throughout all 
the greater cities of our own land and to cease not till he had 
compassed the globe and finished his work in that brief, final 
campaign in Kansas City, in November, 1899. 

The scope of this volume will only allow of the slightest 
sketch of Mr. Moody's evangelistic labors for another year; 
and then we will invite your attention to the great educational 
work which he inaugurated at Northfield and Mt. Hermon — 
which will abide as the most lasting memorial of his tireless 
energy and boundless zeal in the cause of Christian education. 
The Chicago Bible Institute has been laid on quite a differ- 
ent foundation and will require separate treatment. 

On leaving Philadelphia, two days, February 5th and 6th, 
were spent at Princeton, N. J., where a great revival had brok- 
en out during the week of prayer for colleges. The stay of 
Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey over the Sabbath was greatly 
blessed, both to the town and to the college. The students 
continued to carry on their meetings for nearly a month, and 



THE GREAT REVIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA. 207 

largely through their individual efforts they resulted glorious- 
ly in the conversion of upwards of one hundred of their fellow 
collegians. 

Very careful arrangements had been made for their visit of 

TWO MONTHS IN NEW YORK. 

Mr. Moody received the most hearty co-operation of the 
ministers of the evangelical churches. A choir of nearly 800 
voices and a willing band of several hundred Christian work- 
ers were ready to take up their work at the very first meeting. 

An immense building on Madison avenue had been secured 
and partitions had been put up dividing it into two large audi- 
ence rooms, with smaller ones for the inquiry meetings. In 
spite of the fact that the hall would thus accommodate 10,000 
people, thousands could not get in and several overflow meet- 
ings were also organized. The convention for ministers and 
laymen, which had become a fixed part of every mission of 
any duration was held with great enthusiasm and the last 
meeting for converts was atended by 3500 persons to hear 
his parting address. 

Their campaign in Brooklyn, in October, before they vis- 
ited Philadelphia, which had added nearly 2000 to the 
churches, had in part prepared the way for this larger blessing 
in New York. 

Mr. Sankey, after these meetings ended, turned his face 
homeward to Newcastle, Pa., for a time, while Mr. Moody 
visited several cities in the south, returning to Chicago after 
an absence of three years, by way of St. Louis. He found a 
splendid new church, costing nearly $90,000, had arisen on 
the site of that rough but commodious after-fire tabernacle. 
Thirty thousand dollars of the final indebtedness on this 
church had been paid off out of the royalty fund from the 
sale of the Moody and Sankey hymn books, which amount 
had been sent to Mr. George H. Stuart from London. 

After assisting at the dedication of this spacious, but plain- 



208 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

ly finished and furnished church, Mr. Moody returned to 
Northfield. A month later and Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey 
were 

BACK IN CHICAGO 

ready to begin, October ist, a great and very successful revi- 
val. A huge tabernacle seating 8000 people, and costing 
$20,000 had been erected; and, with the heartiest welcome 
they had ever received, with an "All hail," and "God bless you" 
rising from ten thousand voices, they began their work. In 
less than five years Chicago had recovered from the losses of 
the great conflagration and was spreading out on every side. 
And now upon the new Chicago God was pleased to pour out 
a pentecostal baptism of the Holy Spirit and nearly five thous- 
and souls swelled the roll of the blessings that filled their 
hearts with boundless gratitude and joy at the watch night 
service of 1876. 

Edinburgh, London, Philadelphia, Chicago!! Who can tell 
the story? What mortal voices lift the anthems of praise? 
Only the Hallelujah chorus as sung by the redeemed before 
the throne can worthily magnify the name of God, who at the 
hands of these humble servants and in the midst of all the peo- 
ple had wrought such wonders of salvation. To Him be all 
the glory forever. 





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Northfield Seminary Life. 

By Mrs. A. W. Yale (One of the girls.) 

R. MOODY happened one day to be driving the 
steep road which leads up and over one of the 
mountains or hills which overlook Northfield. 
At the summit there suddenly came into view 
one of those lonely farmhouses so often found 
on unfrequented roads, and here Mr. Moody found, as has 
frequently been related, young girls engaged in the monot- 
onous occupation of making- baskets. It was by no means 
an unusual sight, especially in New England, but it attracted 
Mr. Moody's attention, and the thought at once flashed into 
his mind, "Those girls have as much right to an education 
as any one else, but how can they get it?" 

As a result of this mental question, a number of large, hand- 




View of Northfield Seminary. 



14 



210 



DWIGHT L. MOODY. 



some buildings of brick or stone stand upon a smooth green 
campus which slopes gently down to the Connecticut. 
Northfield Seminary, with its well-equipped dormitories, 
gymnasium, library and recitation halls, its complete curricu- 
lum, and its corps of competent teachers, is Mr. Moody's an- 
swer to his own problem of educating not three girls but 
over three hundred yearly. 

The seminary as it stands to-day is the growth of a number 




Marquand Hall. 



of years, and had its humble beginning in the north wing of 
Mr. Moody's own house which he fitted up for the accommo- 
dation of a few girls. A small brick recitation hall was the 
next acquisition, and to meet the growing needs of the school 
a large farmhouse was purchased for a dormitory, and chris- 
tened Bonar Hall, in honor of Mr. Moody's personal friend, 
Dr. Andrew Bonar, of Scotland. Gourd-like, the school 
continued to grow, and East Hall was erected, having ac- 
commodations for sixty. Stone Hall was the next addition 
to the group, and was paid for by the royalties from the gos- 



NORTHFIELD SEMINARY LIFE. 



211 



pel hymn books. "Mr. Sankey sang that building up," Mr. 
Moody was wont to observe as he pointed to it. 

The attention of the trustees of the Marquand estate was 
attracted by the institution, and Marquand Hall, a large 
brick dormitory, with accommodations for eighty, is a tangi- 
ble evidence of their interest in Mr. Moody's educational 
work. 

The old brick recitation hall had been superseded by Stone 



I . m 




Talcott Library. 

Hall and the former sold as a dwelling house. Urged by the 
necessity for more dormitory room, it was re-purchased, and 
in its enlarged and improved state, again took its place among 
the seminary buildings, as the "Revell." This shows the 
rapid growth of the school, for but a short time previous, Mr. 
David M. Weston had given to the seminary the dormitory 
which bears his name. 



212 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

A growing need had been felt of a library, and this was 
met by a generous friend of the institution, Air. James Tal- 
cott, of New York. Talcott Library, a small building in the 
Moorish style of architecture, not only well serves the pur- 
pose for which it was intended, but is an ornament to the 
campus. Skinner Gymnasium was the latest gift to North- 
field Seminary, and completes the number, since the great 



Skinner Gymnasium. 

Auditorium is only used during the summer conferences, 
and cannot be strictly classed as a seminar}' building. 

Such was the evolution of a school, the plan of which many 
considered impracticable and Quixotic, and whose failure was 
confidently predicted, especially as the yearly fee was placed 
at such a low figure, one hundred dollars, that each student 
cost the institution sixty dollars per annum more than she 
paid. But the corner stone upon which the seminary rested 



NORTHFIELD SEMINARY LIFE. 



213 



was the scriptural promise, chosen for a motto, "I the Lord 
do keep it; I will water it every moment, lest any hurt it, I 
will keep it night and day." 

THE CURRICULUM. 

Mr. Moody left the arrangement of the curriculum to more 
experienced heads than his own, but upon one point he was 
firm, that the Bible should occupy a prominent place in the 
course of study, for Northfield Seminary was to be essentially 




Model of Solomon's Temple at Northfield. 

a Christian institution. So the scriptures are studied in no 
desultory, haphazard fashion, but thoroughly and systemati- 
cally. Examinations are held in Bible the same as in any 
other subject, and the "prep." who in her first days at the 
seminary wandered aimlessly through the New Testament in 
search of Thessalonians, is a good Bible student by the time 
she has reached her senior year. 

As for other studies, three excellent courses are placed at 
the option of the student, namely, the English, general and 



214 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

college preparatory. The first is a scientific course, omitting 
Latin and Greek, and having modern languages as electives. 

The second includes Latin, a few of the sciences, with 
modern languages, while the third, as its name would imply, 
prepares the pupil to enter any college. 

Household Science was introduced some time ago and has 
proved one of the most popular departments. In a room 
especially fitted up for the purpose, and provided with every 
convenience, the girls receive instruction in such practical 
subjects as cooking, sewing, washing, ironing and the general 
care of a house. ''Domestic Science" was the name by 
which the course was originally known, but it was found 
necessary to change this, since many, inferring that its pur- 
pose was to train domestics, sent to the seminary for cooks 
and chambermaids. 

In purpose and spirit, Northfield Seminary and Mt. Hol- 
yoke strongly resemble one another, but even before the lat- 
ter became a college the requirements were much higher than 
those for Northfield. Since Mt. Holyoke received its char- 
ter as a college, and discontinued the seminary course, its 
standard is as high as that of any other college, and the 
Northfield graduate who completes the college preparatory 
course, is well prepared to enter the freshman year of Mt. 
Holyoke College. 

THE TOWN OF NORTHFIELD. 

Northfield is an ideal town for the location of a school, and 
cannot fail to impress one who visits it for the first time. It 
is one of those quaint New England villages, whose broad, 
long street is shaded by a double row of venerable elms and 
maples, and many of whose residences are built with a firm- 
ness and stability which suggests protection from marauding 
Indians. A slight acquaintance with the history of the town 
will show that such precaution was not unnecessary in the 
colonial days, for Northfield was settled in the times when 




Main Street, looking South. 




Main Street, looking North. 



2l6 



DYYIGHT L. MOODY 



men worked in the fields with their guns at their side, and the 
villages were encircled by a stockade for the sake of safety. 

The Northfield of the past is scarcely less interesting than 
that of the present, and the antiquarian will find his researches 
amply repaid. The early settlers chose the location of the 
town wisely, for they built their homes on a long bluff, over- 
looking the broad, fertile meadows, beyond which wound the 




"iV'^i i nYi "-' 




Main Street, looking South from Belden Rock. 
Connecticut, while upon the east a low ridge of mountains 
gave protection from sharp easterly winds. It was at the 
extreme northern end of the town that land was purchased 
for Northfield Seminary, and the buildings stand upon a hill- 
side which gradually slopes clown into the meadow land, past 
which the Connecticut flows. 

The new pupil, coming for the first time to Northfield, gets 
her earliest glimpse of her future Alma Mater from the stage 




Old Field House. 




An Old NortMeld Residence. 



218 



DWIGHT L. MOODY. 



as it rattles along the road beside the river. The little town 
of South Vernon, scarcely more than a railroad junction, is 
soon left behind, and just beyond its limits, Northfield comes 
into view, across the river. It does not nestle, like the con- 
ventional village of fiction, but lies stretched out at full length 
along the bluff. 

The seminary buildings at once attract the eye — Mar- 
(juand Hall, with its mediaeval-like tower; East Hall, in a 




Mr. Moody's Home, from the North. 

more severe style of architecture; Skinner Gymnasium, with 
its long windows; Weston Hall, plain and unpretentious, 
further back on the hillside; Stone Hall and Talcott Library, 
whose soft grey contrasts with the dull red of the brick build- 
ings; Betsy Moody Cottage, designed especially for the sick, 
and for those needing rest, while farthest back of all rise the 
towers of the great Auditorium. Close adjoining the smooth 
velvety campus, one can distinguish a pleasant home-like 
house, painted the conventional white, with green blinds, and 




Rear of Marquand Hall. 




View from Tower of Auditorium. 



220 



DWTGHT L. MOODY 



this is the residence of Dwight L. bloody. Other features of 
the town catch the eye ; the spire of the Congregational 
Church, and at some distance further down two other spires, 
the gilded cross surmounting one unmistakably indicating a 
Catholic church. Oriental travelers are wont to describe the 
beauties of Constantinople as seen from a distance, the white 




Main Street, East Northfield. 

minarets and domes gleaming through the shining green of 
the trees, but tell us that once within the city the beauty van- 
ishes and all the fancied charms are dispelled by the unclean 
streets and unsavory odors. 

Northfield is not a Constantinople, for it is no less a pleas- 
ure to walk through its broad, well-shaded streets than to 
view it from a distance, and the mind of the Northfield alum- 
na often turns back to the davs when she rambled in Bonar 




Northfield from Across the River. 




Old Bridge Across Connecticut River. 



222 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Glen, with the dead leave?, rastling under her feet, or rowed 
over the clear waters of Minnehaha Lake. 

SCHOOL LIFE. 

As for the school Jife of Northfield it differs somewhat from 
that of an ordinary boarding school. The students are not 
the daughters of wealthy parents sent to "finish" their edu- 
cation, and whose idea of boarding school is to have a lively 
time with as little study as is consistent with receiving their 
diploma. The girls who come to Northfield are there to 
work, Ztwl ar'j anxious, especially those who have been denied 
early advantages, to make the most of their time. 

Perhaps it may seem that girlish pranks are considered a 
little too seriously, but when it is remembered that a large 
number of applications are refused simply for lack of room, 
it will be seen to be no more than simple justice that careless, 
idle girls be asked to withdraw in favor of those really hun- 
gering for an education. 

The spirit of the school is plainly to be felt among the stu- 
dents for girls are respected and loved not for their social 
position nor for their fathers' means, but for what they them- 
selves are. The exclusive cliques, so common in boarding 
schools, do not flourish here, and in their place is a Christ- 
like spirit of unselfishness and consideration for others. 

MR. MOODY'S LOVE OF MUSIC. 

Music was one of Mr. Moody's hobbies, and the singing of 
Northfield Seminary and Mt. Hermon School was the pride 
of his heart. At the morning chapel exercises of the former, 
upon one occasion, he gave out a hymn, and was apparently 
dissatisfied with the stumbling manner in which it was sung. 
He turned to the pianist in surprise. 

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Don't the girls know 
that hymn?" 

"The first four lines are a bass solo," replied the accompan- 
ist, meekly. 




The Moody Residence. 




Residence of A. P. Fitt, Mr. Moody' Son-in-law. 



224 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

At another time, when both schools were assembled in the 
village church for the Sunday morning service, he suggested 
that they "sing while the friends were gathering," and select- 
ed the gospel hymn known as "Have courage my boy, to say 
'No.' " The refrain was, 

"Have courage, my boy, 

Have courage, my boy, 

Have courage my boy, to say 'No.' " 

"That's very good," was his comment at the conclusion of 
the first verse, "But it's just as necessary for a girl to know 
how to say 'No' as a boy, so I want all you young men from 
Hermon to sing that chorus again, and sing, "Have courage 
my girl, to say 'No.' " 

The hymn in its improved form, was accordingly sung, and 
although the sentiment was, no doubt, an excellent one, the 
spectacle of three hundred young men earnestly exhorting 
their girls to say "No" was too much for the risibles of the 
congregation. 

At the morning chapel exercises of the seminary, he one 
day selected a hymn whose chorus repeated again and again, 
"We'll all be ready when the bridegroom comes." The first 
time the hymn was sung through with perfect gravity, but 
the repetition was too much for the three hundred girls thus 
cheerfully expressing their readiness for the bridegroom, and 
a ripple ran over the assembly. 

"I guess we'll try another," said Mr. Moody, with a smile. 

INCIDENTS OF MORNING WORSHIP. 

Many interesting incidents occurred at the morning wor- 
ship, and it frequently happened that some visitors addressed 
the school. A lady of extreme corpulence was asked to lead 
the service one morning, and she accordingly opened the 
scriptures and began, "Have merthy upon me, O Lord, for 
man would thwaller me up." A smile, rapidly contagious, 
spread over the school, and the thought was in more than 




Mr. Moody's Donkey. 




Marquand Hall, from Residence of D. L. Moody. 



226 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

one mind that the man who did the "thwallering" would need 
the "merthy." 

From time to time distinguished visitors came to the sem- 
inary, among whom was the late Professor Drumniond, a 
warm personal friend of Mr. Moody's. He began his re- 
marks with, "I suppose a few of you young ladies are feeling 
homesick." (It was at the beginning of the fall term.) 

"No, no," interrupted Mr. Moody quickly, "we don't ever 
have homesick girls here." 

The visit of Dr. James Stalker, of Scotland, was looked for- 
ward to with much interest, and at Mr. Moody's request the 
school practiced metrical psalms, "For the Scotch are very 
fond of psalms," he assured us. Upon the eventful occasion 
of the visit, the psalms were sung and their rendering warmly 
praised by Dr. Stalker. 

"But," he added, "over in Scotland I hear psalms, psalms 
and nothing but psalms and now that I have come over here, 
I want to hear something else beside them. Sing some real 
good gospel hymns for me, please." 

It was at Mr. Moody's suggestion that the custom of an 
annual sacred concert was established. This name, unfor- 
tunately associated with questionable entertainments in the 
low-class theatres, meant in this case a concert the program 
of which was entirely composed of sacred music. A number of 
Mr. Moody's favorite gospel hymns were sung, interspersed 
with more difficult selections by the choirs of both schools. 

Mr. Moody, as has already been said, was fond of music, 
although possessing no ear whatever for it, and unable to 
carry the simplest tune. A song recital was given in Stone 
Hall one evening by a friend of the school, a young lady with 
an excellent contralto voice. After a number of songs Mr. 
Moody called for more, and suggested that she sing a favorite 
hymn of his, "Then shall my heart keep singing." The singer 
was tired, and demurred at first, but finally consented on the 
condition that he sing it with her. 




Main Street, East Northfield, looking North. 




Old East Northfield P. O. 



228 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

''Very well," he replied with alacrity, and at once joined her 
upon the platform. "You must bow to the audience,"' she 
prompted, and he accordingly made a low bow. The pianist 
began the hymn, and they sang it together, the clear contral- 
to notes and Mr. Moody's low mumbled monotone mingling 
discordantly. When the chorus was reached the young lady 
could no longer Control herself, but broke down completely 
with laughter, while Mr. Moody continued bravely to the end. 

THE GRADUATE OF NORTHFIELD 

has many a pleasant recollection of her school-days, which 
will not easily slip from the memory. The walks on the crisp 
October afternoons when the air was sharp and bracing, and 
the dead leaves rustled beneath the feet, the rambles in spring 
time, in search of the delicate trailing arbutus, the skating on 
Minnehaha Lake, and the coasting on the smooth "crust" 
from Round Top nearly to the river. 

Pauchaug Hill, once the scene of Indian ambuscades, as a 
granite shaft bears witness, is a veritable coasters' paradise, a 
paradise whose gates are barred to the seminary student, be- 
cause the hill, with its sharp curves, has been the scene of 
many an accident. 

Other recollections come to mind, for Northfield school 
days are inseparably associated with Mr. Moody. He was a fa- 
miliar sight as he drove about in his buggy, Lion, the mastiff, 
trotting behind. Sometimes he was alone, at other times one 
of his grandchildren accompanied him, for never was there a 
more devoted grandfather than he. His son bore loving tes- 
timony to his character as a father, at the funeral service, 
while his tender affection for his aged mother, who passed 
away in 1896, could not but impress those who knew him. 

He officiated at the baptism of his daughter's child, little 
Emma Moody Fitt, and those who were present enjoyed the 
informality of the occasion. As the service began, the baby's 
face puckered ominously, and a wail seemed imminent. 




Round Top. 




Minnehaha Lake. 
(Wanamaker Lake) 



230 



DWIGHT L. MOODY 



"Never mind if she does cry," said Mr. Moody to his daugh- 
ter, reassuringly, "we've all heard a baby cry before now." 

When the service was over he returned the child to its 
mother's arms, and turned to the congregation with a beam- 
ing smile. "She's been a real good baby, hasn't she?" he 
asked proudly. 

Just before his death, he alluded to the two little grand- 




Vi« 



from Round Top. 



children who had died. "I have been within the gates," he 
said; "and seen the children, Irene and Dwight." 

The seminary student who was in trouble or perplexity, in- 
variably found in Mr. Moody 

A SYMPATHIZING FRIEND 

ready with practical, common sense advice. One young girl 

"Mr. Moody," she said, "I be- 




A Northfield Residence. 




Hotel Northfield. 



232 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

lieve I'm backsliding, for when I go to bed at night, very often 
I don't feel in the least like praying, but would rather go right 
to sleep. Do you think there is something the matter with 
me spiritually?" "My dear young lady," replied Mr. Moody, 
"it shows that you are working hard, and are simply tired and 
sleepy when night comes. Don't worry about your spiritual 
state when it's just bodily fatigue." 

The tired body of the great evangelist has been laid to rest 
under the pines on Round Top. "I hope I shall be on Round 
Top when the Lord comes again," he had often said, and it 
was therefore chosen as his burial place. 

Standing beside his grave one can look upon the buildings 
of Northfield Seminary, and see the students passing to and 
fro, hundreds of girls, who but for his tireless energy and 
strong faith would never have received the priceless boon of 
an education. 

A mile to the south, the Hotel Northfield is plainly visible, 
where each winter a Christian Training School prepares one 
hundred young women to engage in active Christian work. 

Over to the southwest, the eye can distinguish Mt. Hermon 
School, where over three hundred earnest young men are be- 
ing educated, who otherwise would never have known this 
privilege. 

Air. Moody needs no monument of marble or granite, for 
these schools and the countless young men and women who 
have gone out from them to lead lives of service for the Mas- 
ter, are a memorial which will endure forever. 

''Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; 
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and 
their works do follow them." 



The Northfield Conference. 

ORTHFIELD and the Summer Conference! What 
memories these words kindle, as we utter them; 
how many hearts and in what different parts of 
the earth, near and remote, throb with quicker 
pulses as they recall those happy, holy days at 
Northfield. Those vacation experiences amid the foot-hills 







View of Northfield. 

(Showing Old Congregational Church where 
the first conference was held) 



of New England have marked a transition line in the spiritual 
experience and fruitfulness of many Christian lives. There 
unnumbered children of God have crossed the Jordan and 
entered upon a higher, deeper and more potent career of life 
and usefulness. Northfield is to them the synonym of a 



234 



DWTGHT L. MOODY 



blessed surrender and trust which were followed by a more 
blessed rest, joy and victory, as they from thenceforth began 
to reign in life, by Jesus Christ, through the abundance of 
grace and the gift of righteousness. Xorthfield has been to 
many of the Master's consecrated servants not merely a 
Bethel where their Lord, though not fully recognized, had yet 
received their selfish vows, but more a Penuel, where they met 
Him face to face and yielded their all in glad and utter surren- 




Meeting upon Round Top. 
der, to receive in return a new name and a new nature, to fine 
themselves by His grace henceforth princes, having power 
with God and men. We may gather in soul-stirring confer- 
ence at Northfield again for many a coming year, bat the all- 
dominating personality of the conference founder and long- 
time leader, moulding and welding into a unit of praise and 
purpose the vast gatherings in the great auditorium will not be 
visible. 

Neither shall we be permitted again as we gather on Round 




Sou'h Vernon Station. 




Store at South Vernon. 



236 



DWIGHT L. MOODY 



Top at setting of the sun to draw close about him as he ex- 
horts, and pleads with us to become more like the Christ, our 
Lord, and to yield our whole being to the doing of His will in 
service or in sacrifice. But in a very profound spiritual 
sense, Moody will be at Northfield still, to the eye of memory, 
and to the spiritual apprehension an undying influence and a 
living factor ever. The sweet memories of those summer 




Congregational Church, 
days of privilege, peace and power are fragrant and lasting, 
like holy incense are more than sacred memories; they are 
living seeds bringing forth their harvest, thirty, sixty, an hun- 
dred fold in our imperfect but purpose-filled lives. 

The personality of the great leader of assemblies has van- 
ished, but the institutions which he founded at Northfield and 
Chicago will live on, and among those institutions the sum- 
mer conferences are not the least important. These gather- 




The Auditorium. 




Meeting of August Conference in Auditorium. 



238 



DWIGHT L. MOODY. 



ings for the quickening of the spiritual life of the believer, and 
for the increase of his power and skill in Christan work will 
live and grow in usefulness as the years go by. 

It is deeply interesting to study the origin of great modern 
movements in the kingdom of Christ on earth. How spring 
such movements into life? Not from explicit command sud- 
denly flashing from the page of inspiration; but God first puts 
a deep sense of need in awakened souls; this need finds expres- 




Residcnce of Dr. A. T. Pierson. 



sion in an earnest cry, which is heard at God's throne, and by 
some attentive and obedient ear on earth. Then the Holy 
Spirit stirs within that listener's heart the purpose to meet the 
need and the consecrated man goes forth in the Holy Spirit's 
strength to execute. Hence every great movement of God 
has its visible beginnings in the action of the servant of God 
stepping out and starting in humble fashion the great enter- 
prise which God desired to actualize upon the earth. Thus the 




Site of First Y. M. C. A. Camp. 




View from Camp Northfield. 




Group of Campers. 




Farewell to Camp Northficld. 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 241 

schools and thus the summer conferences of Northfield were 
chosen. As Mr. Moody went throughout the length and 
breadth of our country he discovered on every hand, chil- 
dren of God, unsatisfied with their knowledge of his words 
and longing for deeper experiences of His presence and pow- 
er. To meet this deep need of the believer's soul, the great 
evangelist decided to call together from every part of America 
and the world, students, whether young men or women; min- 
isters, missionaries and Christian workers, for Bible study, 
conference and prayer. The hearty interest, prayer and co- 
operation manifested by thousands, whether present or absent 
from the very opening conference in 1880 clearly proved that 
their purpose and spirit were accordant with the divine will, 
and that they were supplying a great need to the spiritual life 
and activity of the Christian world. To these summer con- 
vocations thousands of young men and women from our col- 
leges have gathered, with results to themselves and to their 
own and future generations which the Omniscient One alone 
can estimate. 

To Northfield gladly hastens the missionary when on leave 
of absence from his far away field of labor, where isolation, 
deprivation and the subtle influences of antagonistic religions 
and degrading surroundings like a deadly miasma have ener- 
vated his spiritual life. And he drinks to the recovery of his 
strength and the renewal of his powers for heroic service. 

To Northfield comes the busy pastor at vacation time. It 
was the saying of a quaint and brilliant preacher of Prince- 
ton. "Every young minister after a dozen years in active 
service, is like a pump gone dry. He needs a refilling at the 
top." If this be true intellectually how much more is it a fact 
that spiritually the minister needs restoration to the joy of his 
Lord and renewal of the Holy Spirit's power. 

And here thousands of earnest laymen have acquired a 
more perfect knowledge of the word and will of God; and have 
gone forth afresh to win souls to our Lord Jesus Christ. In 
16 



242 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

fine, the deepest, farthest cry of the Christian Church of this 
generation is for a more perfect experience of the presence 
and power of her living Lord and Head. Northfield in its 
conference work is one of the most important factors which 
God has given, even in this century of wonderful gifts from 
His hands, for the attainment of an obedient, spirit filled and 
fruitful life. 

THE VISITOR TO NORTHFIELD 

can never lose his first impressions of the quaint and typical 
New England town, on the right banks of the Connecticut 
River, just below the base line of Vermont and New Hamp- 
shire as they rest upon the upper boundary line of Massa- 
chusetts as a foundation. The Connecticut at this point, sep- 
arates New Hampshire and Vermont. It was remarked by 
a young man of the writer's company that at a certain point, 
two miles east of Northfield, the officiating clergyman at a 
wedding ceremony could stand in Massachusetts, the groom 
in Vermont, and the'bride in New Hampshire, and they would 
all be within speaking distance in consumating their sacred 
contract. The valley of the Connecticut widens at this point 
as if to make ready for the birth place and work of the great 
evangelist. To the north, across the river, lofty mountain 
peaks, range behind range, stretch away like steps in nature's 
staircase, to the farthest line of the horizon. To the south, a 
mile back from the river, we reach the foot-hills, ascending 
gradually skyward, heavily wooded and green to their sum- 
mits. As we are driven into Northfield proper, we find that 
the quaint old village, kept young as all New England is, with 
white and green paint, consists of a single street, an hundred 
and seventy-five feet wide, and two miles long. It is shaded 
on either side by double rows of elms and maples, back of 
.vhich are stately houses, some modern, but the greater num- 
ber colonial in style, and in actual history. Some of them re- 
tain their massive chimneys, their imposing columns and pilas- 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 243 

ters, their roof-guards and curious circular-headed windows 
and fanlights. Here we are, in the heart of dignified rural 
New England, as it was a century ago. 

Driving on through this splendid corridor of natural beau- 
ty, we quickly cross the line invisible, which brings us into 
East Northfield, which is the seat of all the features of especial 
interest to the conference visitors. To the right we turn and 
climb slowly a moderate hill, and on the left, upon the brow of 
this rise, we have pointed out to us the home of Mother 
Moody and the house where D. L., as the natives here love to 
call him, was born. 

From her marriage until her death, this house was the home 
of Betsey Holton Moody. And until her death in January, 
1896, Dwight when at home visited her twice or oftener daily. 
No matter how great the pressure of school or conference 
duties, the devoted son came to greet and cheer his aged, 
house-bound mother. 

Turning to the left, around the old homestead, the visitor 
passes orchards and fields and finds himself face to face with 
the Auditorium, a noble structure, seating 2500 persons, and 
carefully adapted to the needs for seeing, hearing and breath- 
ing of the great summer gatherings. Passing on, in circular 
fashion along the winding drives of the great campus which is 
like one limitless lawn of unnumbered acres, and which adds 
much to the beauty and comfort of the whole scene, we pass 
in turn East, West, Stone and Marquand Halls, the Talcott 
Library and the Skinner Gymnasium. We are impatient to 
see Mr. Moody's own home, and suddenly it bursts upon our 
eyes, a large and typical New England dwelling house. It is 
painted white and has green shutters, and stands in the centre 
of a spacious lawn which slopes outward to the main street, 
on the farther side of which a larger field slopes gradually tc 
the river's edge. Immediately in front of Mr. Moody's home 
a venerable elm, encircled with a rustic seat, invites one 
to rest, to look, to reflect, to purpose a loftier life. This is 



244 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

your first vacation at Northfiekl. Surely you need it for body, 
mind and soul; and earnest prayer goes up that you may im- 
prove its opportunities to the fullest. But first that which 
is natural, afterward that which is spiritual. And as you 
look joyfully around, you exclaim, 

"BEAUTIFUL FOR SITUATION 
is this New England Mount of Transfiguration." The Con- 
necticut, like a silver thread of gigantic size, winds and flows 
calmly westward. Beyond the river, looking northward, 
you behold mountain range above range, climaxing in the 
Green Mountains of Vermont. And turning toward the east, 
you can discern in faint outline, blue and hazy with distance, 
the majestic White Mountains of New Hampshire. 

Amid suroundings so elevating and yet so humbling, the 
writer realized and rejoiced in the fact that he was upon the 
threshold of one of the epoch making experiences of his life. 
The time was fully ripe, weary of work that was not productive 
of fruit, unsatisfied with himself, yearning for the renewing of 
spiritual life by the Holy Spirit, and for a closer fellowship with 
the living Christ, he had come to Northfield-like multitudes 
of others, with a single aim, to touch the hem of the Master's 
garment, and to receive new life and power from Him. The 
first man he saw was the central figure of the coming days. 
Mr. Moody himself, driving in his buggy, upon some errand 
incident to the minor duties of the farm. For he was always 
a man of affairs; the Lord's affairs first, and afterwards his 
own. The last vision of him was on a later summer, in the 
same buggy, with his little grand child, Irene Whittle — now in 
Heaven — upon his knee, and both waving good-bye to our 
departing train. 

THE NORTHFIELD SUMMER CONFERENCES 
have met a great need in the Christian work of the church in 
America. They became from their inauguration an im- 
measurable factor in the development of Christian life and 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 245 

service. Their influence is being felt from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific, from the regions of Upper Canada to the Gulf of 
Mexico. That influence has already touched and quickened 
thousands of ministers of the gospel and tens of thousands 
of Sabbath school teachers and other Christian workers. The 
testimony fresh and impressive of many of the leading pas- 
tors of New York City, as to the blessings there received, are 
most convincing, as to the unmeasurable good these summer 
convocations are accomplishing. 

THE FIRST CONFERENCE 

was held in 1880; the second, the next year; then, owing to 
Mr. Moody's campaigns in Great Britain, there were no con- 
ferences in 1882, 1883 and 1884. The third gathering was 
in 1885, since which time they have been held each year. In 
1893 Mr. Moody's attention was divided between Northfield 
and his aggressive gospel work at the World's Fair, Chicago. 
But his place as Northfield leader was ably filled by that saintly 
yet always self-poised pastor and spiritual director, the Rev. 
Dr. Gordon, of Boston. The initial conference for Christian 
workers occupied the first ten days of September, 1880. It 
was attended by hundreds of visitors, including a delegation 
from the British Isles. East Hall was unequal to the de- 
mands upon it. Many visitors slept and ate in tents — a prac- 
tice still a striking trait of Northfield. Others slept in gar- 
rets and barns. In fine, every available place was brought into 
requisition, and the quiet New England village slowly awak- 
ened to the realization that a new era had dawned, and a new 
importance had become its own, and that it should hence- 
forth be a centre of light and life to the world of believers, as 
it had already become through its institutions of Christian 
education, a fountain of mental and spiritual culture to hun- 
dreds of aspiring young men and women. The Congrega- 
tional Church was not large enough for a meeting place, and 
a large tent was pitched behind East Hall. The predominant 



246 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

idea and aim of that great conference was spiritual power. 
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit as the source of all blessing 
and efficiency was emphasized and sought after in every ad- 
dress and prayer. 

The Conference of each succeeding year has developed a 
distinct individuality and manifested its own peculiar side of 
the manifold enrichment of the grace of God. 

One year the power of the Holy Ghost has been most prom- 
inent in prayer, teaching and manifestation. At another, the 
Saviorhood and Lordship of the Son of God. At a third, life 
and service have been most strongly emphasized. But there 
has never failed the blending with high spiritual teaching and 
subjective aspiration the needs and claims of actual work in a 
dying world abroad and at home. We have always been led 
down from the Mount of Transfiguration into the Valley of 
Human Need, as we have considered the interests of the 
foreign mission field and of the city slum. In each and every 
annual gathering there has been the happy proportioning of 
the interests of the inner life with the claims of outward ag- 
gressive work. The memorable 

FIRST CHRISTIAN WORKER'S CONFERENCE 

was unique. It has never been reproduced, nor can it ever be. 
It was the first overflow of a spiritual Niagara of deep need, 
yearning desires, humble confession of sin, heart searchings, 
self humblings, and strong cryings unto God for mercy and 
for blessing, filled the air. At the close of the ninth day, 3000 
requests for prayer were piled up on Mr. Moody's desk, which 
purposely he had not presented until the last of the confer- 
ence, because, as he said, "We need to get right ourselves with 
God before we can pray for others." As a general remark it 
may be accurate to say that the Northfield Conferences in their 
evolution, have progressed from the objective to the subjec- 
tive. In the gatherings of earlier years, the evangelist, his in- 
terests and methods of work were in the foreground, and 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 247 

every phase of outward aggressive work occupied much at- 
tention. But since the conference of 1894, when Rev. F. B. 
Meyer, of London, paid his second visit, it has been more 
characteristic of these annual gatherings that 

CERTAIN GREAT SPIRITUAL TRUTHS, 

like the surrender of the will, and the secret of victory, rest 
and power, have gained the pre-eminence, presented day by 
day by the mighty personality of a Meyer, a Murray or a Mor- 
gan. If the evolution of Northfield has been from service to- 
ward life, in its inner and deeper fullness, it is only that out of 
a richer blessing from God more effective service unto our 
fellowman might eventually issue. 

The Summer Conference work at Northfield is divided into 
three conventions. The first, in order of the season, is the 
WORLD'S STUDENT CONFERENCE, 

which opens the last week in June, and continues throughout 
the first week of July. It had its birth in the summer of 1887, 
in Recitation Hall, Mt. Hermon Seminary. This has always 
been a gathering of surpassing interest, growing to such en- 
thusiasm as only aroused young men know how to display. 
It has been a gathering unique, in its adaptability to the wishes 
and needs of earnest young men. Five hundred delegates, 
from the leading colleges and preparatory schools of our 
country, attend. These hundreds of delegates represent di- 
rectly thousands of students and return to their colleges with 
changed purposes, deepened spiritual lives and hearts on fire, 
to become centers of blessing and salvation to all their com- 
rades. Note a single typical instance. In 1894 four young 
men came to Northfield for the first time. They were Chris- 
tians when they came, but they went home with a new love to 
Christ in their hearts, and a new force in their lives. The next 
autumn their western college enjoyed the greatest revival in 
its history. Nominal Christians among the students became 
earnest ones, and seventy-five fellow-students were converted 



248 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

to Christ. All this was due, humanly speaking, to the visit of 
four delegates to the world's student conference. No gath- 
ering of the year at Northfield awakens so much enthusiasm 
or becomes a more important factor for good, than this com- 
ing together of young men. Mr. Moody has catered very skill- 
fully to the peculiar needs of Christian young men of intel- 
lectual and spiritual aspiration. He has met them upon the 
plane of their special wants and perils. It was here that Prof. 
Henry Drummond, of Edinburgh, did his best work in Amer- 
ica. And Dr. McKenzie, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has 
been in yearly demand by the young men's conferences, doing 
noble service. Robert E. Speer, the spirit-filled young secre- 
tary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions; and Sec- 
retary Wishard, of the College Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation, have stirred men's souls unto a deeper casting down 
of self at the Savior's feet, and to higher and more heroic un- 
dertakings in His kingdom. Here the brilliant, intellectual 
gifts in thought and speech of President Patton and Dr. Henry 
J. Van Dyke, of Princeton University, have exemplified and 
emphasized the possibilities of a trained will to glorify the 
Lord Jesus Christ when consecrated to his cause. 

This conference has always covered the Fourth of July pur- 
posely, I believe, and the students' patriotic celebration in the 
great auditorium, is an event truly unapproached by any pre- 
vious experience of your life; and is unapproachable, save by 
hundreds of college men, under circumstances of fellowship 
and gladness like those of Northfield. The speeches, the col- 
lege songs and yells, the inimitable salutes to "Old Glory," the 
soul stirring actions, and the atmosphere of the whole occa- 
sion combine to make it the one nation's birthday of all your 
life, for by comparison with this remarkable celebration, all 
past fourths are forgotten, but this great day at Northfield 
can never be. And henceforth the flame of love to country 
and to the flag shall burn brightly upon the altars of your 
heart as they could not possibly have done had you never spent 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 249 

a nation's birthday with Moody and the young men, fairly 
making the dome of the universe resonant with rejoicings. 

The delegates to this conference came, in the early years of 
its existence, from all parts of our own country and from all 
over the world, thus realizing the broad desire of its founder 
and justifying in fact its comprehensive name. But in the lat- 
er years its territory has become more circumscribed, includ- 
ing chiefly students of the United States west of the Mississip- 
pi and north of Tennessee. But Northfield has inspired the 
planting of other conferences to meet the needs of the various 
sections. The Lake Geneva Conference on the west, and the 
Knoxville gathering in the south, are branches of the one 
great northern work. The Keswick Convention, of England, 
under the stimulus of Northiield's example, inaugurated in 
1889 a distinct work for students. Frankfort-on-Main is 
meeting the same need in Germany. The Scandinavian uni- 
versities have established like schools in Denmark, and great 
student gatherings occur there annually. Japan started the 
same blessed movement in 1889 at the great conference at 
Kyoto, attended by 500 Japanese students. And from the ex- 
ample of this meeting in Japan thousands of students have 
joined in kindred movements in Ceylon, Persia, Turkey and 
India. 

All hail to Northfield as the pioneer and originator of the 
Summer School. But all hail to her a thousand-fold more 
for the incalculable influences of blessing she has brought di- 
rectly to the college life of America. Notice these three posi- 
tive and all important results of the Northfield Student Con- 
ference. It has firmly established in hundreds of schools and 
colleges systematic Bible study. It has introduced for the 
first time, truly effective methods of Christian work among 
college men. In many such institutions young men are not 
permitted to work for others until they have had the experi- 
ences and training of at least one Northfield Conference. And 
Northfield is the parent of the Student Volunteer Movement 



250 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

for Foreign Missions, which President McCosh, of Frinceton. 
University, pronounced "the greatest missionary revival since 
the first century." A movement -which has already sent nine 
hundred educated young men and women to the foreign field, 
and has secured the pledge of three thousand more to go, 
when the means shall be provided. And when we halt to con- 
sider the effect of Northfield upon the individual student in 
leading to a fuller vision of the Christ, as Savior and Lord, in 
bracing the vacillating and motiveless to a high and heroic 
purpose, and in commanding the whole man henceforth for 
the love and service of the Heavenly Master, then we must 
exclaim, "Fraise God for this priceless factor in the culture of 
the Christian life of America's young men and for the pros- 
pect through them of winning our country for the Son of 
God." 

TFIE YOUNG WOMEN'S CONFERENCE 
begins the third week in July of each year, and continues for 
ten days. The ruling idea and purpose of both young people's 
conferences is preparation for service. 

With the same purpose in view, the Young Women's Con- 
ference has much in common with the Young Men's, but dif- 
fers, in order to adapt itself to the peculiar needs of woman 
in her particular sphere and methods of Christian service. 

Bible study is a prominent feature. The claims of Foreign 
and Home Missions are strongly presented by eminent men 
and women. The spirit and methods of Christian work in 
every sphere, where modern Marys do what they can for their 
Lord, are clearly and earnestly set forth by skilled teachers 
and leaders. 

But serious themes and actions do not wholly engage the 
young women during their Northfield summer outing. Re- 
creations of various kinds, delightful fellowship, the commun- 
ion of the saints in its lighter forms, the beginning of life-long 
friendships, gatherings for social enjoyments enlivened by 
rollicking songs from the Mount Holyoke or other young 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 251 

women's glee club, and the unique and sunshiny hospitality of 
Mr. Moody, that inimitable host, who had the faculty of mak- 
ing you feel that you owned all Northfield; a corn roast, or a 
clam bake, in the moonlight on the mountain side, or an after- 
non drive to Brattleboro on Mount Hermon, all intermingled 
with the more serious portions of the program. And then the 
climaxing and sealing of all by a consecration hour on Round 
Top at sun set and then a farewell service in the Auditorium, 
in which the Master's lordship and claims upon you, are em- 
phasized and felt, as they have never been before in all your 
life. And the young women go back to their life duties with a 
broader vision, a higher ideal, a steadier purpose, and a more 
complete devotion to their Lord than they have ever known 
before. 

As we pass on to describe the Conference for Christian 
workers a glance at 

CAMP NORTHFIELD 
will interest the reader and is necessary to a complete record 
of the spiritual work of Northfield, in behalf of its summer 
visitors. This camp was established to benefit young men 
not of the student class, but in the business world. With this 
end in view, Mr. Moody asked the International Committee of 
the Young Men's Christian Association to organize a camp 
for young men, where they might come for an outing at little 
cost during July and August. The camp was opened July, 
1895, in a beautiful pine grove at the foot of Notch Mountain, 
a mile back of East Northfield. Under the wise management 
of an experienced Y. M. C. A. secretary it is doing an impor- 
tant work for young men, who come from the counting room, 
the store and workshop of the great city, to breathe the incom- 
parable air of the New England hills ; perfumed and vitalized 
by the fragrance of the pines. By the very newness and 
charm of their surroundings these new men are surprisingly 
open to the Christian influences which now surround them. A 
hearty welcome, a plentiful table, a quiet tent, the fragrance 



252 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

of the woods compelling sleep, physical recreation of all sorts, 
greet them and they are susceptible to any influence that may 
come to them. 

To the supreme end of their spiritual welfare, recreations 
and jolly hours of fellowship are considered but the means, 
and more serious influences soon begin their work. Bible 
study, prayer and testimony, soul moving addresses by lead- 
ing conference speakers who pay special visits to the camp 
fires, a heart to heart talk with some newly found comrade and 
friend, blessed fellowship with earnest Christians on every 
side are features of camp life which help to lead men to Christ. 
And soon it becomes as natural and easy to receive the Son of 
God by faith, as to breathe in the ozone of the mountain air. 
And scores of young men go back to life's work and tempta- 
tions thanking God for Northfield as the starting point of a 
changed life, as the time and place where they became new 
creatures in Christ Jesus. 

THE CHRISTIAN WORKERS' CONFERENCE. 

This last and crowning assembly of the year opens August 
first, and continues for three weeks. As the name signifies, it 
is designed to meet the wants of mature Christians, wearied 
and exhausted by the stress and drain of their labor, whether 
in the pulpit, foreign mission field or in other spheres of 
Christian activity. Its purpose is to enrich the mind with 
Bible truth and with the knowledge of the best methods of 
Christian work, and to so deepen the spiritual life that the re- 
cipient of blessing shall come into a more perfect union with 
Christ, and obedience unto his living Lord and shall go forth 
to accomplish by the Holy Spirit's power results large and 
glorious in the Master's kingdom. Religious conventions 
elsewhere are marvelous in the good they accomplish, but 
Northfield is unique and pre-eminent in spiritual tone, in its 
power to impress and mould and in its lasting effects. At 
other conventions we can say we were blessed, but at North- 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 253 

field, thousands of us can gratefully and humbly say, we came 
to know and obey the Christ Himself, so that the life since 
then has been real, rest-filled, and regnant, as 

"Moment by moment I'm kept in His love; 
Moment by moment I've life from above." 

Each day at the August Conference is fully and most pro- 
fitably occupied. Its privileges begin with the sunrise prayer 
meetings, led by Mr. Moody, and here he becomes as confiden- 
tial and helpful as if we were gathered around his own family 
hearthstone. Then at ten o'clock and when the program is 
very full, at nine A. M., the addresses in the Auditorium begin. 
One eminent speaker will occupy the desk from nine to ten; 
a second from ten to eleven, a third from eleven to twelve. Re- 
cess for dinner and rest is taken at noon. The afternoon 
meetings begin at three o'clock. Mr. Moody's admonition to 
avoid excess in attending meetings beyond your profit or 
strength is of no avail, and you find yourself again, joining in 
the soul stirring gospel songs, and listening to Dr. Torrey on 
some practical phase of Bible study, or to Dr. Gray in one of 
his masterly analyses of a great masterpiece of inspiration, 
Job, Romans, Ephesians or Galatians. This service being 
over, you are invited to Round Top to ask any reasonable 
questions which may have arisen in your mind concerning 
scriptural truth, or practical living. Some rare ripe Bible stu- 
dent like Dr. Erdman, of Philadelphia, or Prebendary Webb- 
Peploe of London, is there to help you solve the problems of 
doctrine or duty, which Northfield has brought to the fore- 
ground in your thoroughly aroused mind and nature. 

At seven P. M. you have hastened again to Round Top, to 
enter into the spirit and receive the blessing of the twilight 
service. Here the claims of Christ upon the believer for con- 
secration of heart and will and hand to his Lord, are empha- 
sized, as only amid such surroundings and from such Spirit 
filled speakers it is possible to impress them. 

The great evangelist is buried on this green knoll, and upon 



254 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

this very spot, many a believer has in the past and shall in the 
future, know the happy moment of death and burial unto sin, 
and of resurrection unto a new life of purpose and power by 
the touch of the Spirit of God. The pleadings of the Holy 
Spirit, tender and irresistible which have come to us on Round 
Top as the day was dying, through the personality of Mabie, 
Gordon, Meyer, Murray or Moody, have made our hearts burn 
within us, as did the disciples when their unrecognized risen 
Lord conversed with them on the way to Emmaus, and have 
kindled in our hearts fires of love and devotion to Christ, 
which can never die out. 

Then, as the twilight deepens, and the stars shine out, the 
great company moves in silence and soberness over the hills 
toward the Auditorium again, to hear with consecrated mind 
and heart, the interests of the kingdom on foreign field, or city 
slum presented by some hero of the cross, honored of God, 
and known among men. And new obligations are born here 
as always, of new opportunities, and the Mount of Transfig- 
uration requires us to go forward in the service of the King. 

After the evening meeting the great congregation breaks 
into little groups, who gather on porches, and under trees, on 
the way side, for conference, confession and prayer that the 
fullness of blessing may come upon each individual conscious 
of need and hungry, as never before, for Christ to dwell in his 
heart by faith. 

Time and space fail us to speak in detail, of the strong men 
of God who as channels of the Holy Spirit have made this 
Conference a factor for the blessing of thousands. Moody 
himself was always the central figure as he was the leader and 
controlling spirit of everything with which he had to do. To 
his energy, sagacity, resourcefulness and faith, all, next to 
God, is due. We are all under lasting bonds of gratitude to 
Northfield's head for the gifted and helpful spiritual leaders 
and teachers from our own country and the world, whom he 
had brought to speak to us at the August conferences, But 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 255 

after all, the first and most indispensable personality there has 
been the great evangelist himself. Modest, genial and self- 
abnegating, declining to preach or speak at length, except by 
the repeated urging of conference guests, and of the country 
folk, who loved him most of all, who poured in, on convention 
Sabbaths, in every sort of conveyance; then the pressure be- 
came irresistible and after a full morning service and sermon 
by other speakers, the great evangelist would leave the plat- 
form, ascend the choir stairs until he reached a point within 
vision of every gallery seat, and, standing there in the very 
center of the large chorus choir, he would pour out his soul 
upon some theme dear to his heart, the love of God, the duty 
of repentance, or "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." 

Though he asserted himself as little as possible, Moody was 
the head and absolute controller of the conference. In the 
best sense, he was at Northfield, as everywhere else, an auto- 
crat, not for selfish ends but for the glory of God, and the best' 
good of all. No man led in prayer, even, save by the great 
leader's consent and desire. This is one of the chief requisites 
of a great leader in any sphere, to be able to marshall the right 
men as his co-laborers. Mr. Moody was conspicuously gifted 
with this essential quality of leadership. Many remarkable 
men have labored with him at the conferences. Among those 
from abroad may be named Dr. Bonar, of Scotland, Reverends 
F. B. Meyer, Webb-Peploe, G. Campbell Morgan, Geo. H. C. 
McGregor, of London, and the saintly missionary, Andrew 
Murray, of South Africa. And from our own country, many 
men of large equipment of mind and soul for helpfulness. 
Among them have been Drs. Gordon, Torrey, Mabie, Pierson, 
Dixon and Chapman, and President Weston. Who that was 
present on the Sabbath morning of August, 1894, can ever 
lose the impressions made by Dr. Gordon's sermon, on The 
Resurrection, as it enlarged our vision of life, and of heaven, 
and intensified our adoration and love for Him who is Himself 
the resurrection and the life. The preacher spake as by au- 



256 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

tEority that morning out of the depths of his own rich experi- 
ence of faith and joy. He died the following February, and 
as we recall his surroundings in the great and hushed congre- 
gation of the Auditorium, and hear the sermon again and be- 
hold the saintly, strong man who preached and feel again the 
stimulus of his own great conviction of triumph in the face of 
death, we bless God anew for "Jesus Christ, his Son, who hath 
abolished death and brought life and immortality to light." 

Or who that heard F. B. Meyer, in 1892, or 1894 or 1896, 
came away unmoved and unchanged, at least in thought and 
aspiration? How masterfully did he unveil to our own eyes 
and seemingly to all the world the hidden sin within our hearts, 
the long cherished ideal, the undue love of self, and the persis- 
tent resistance of our unsurrendered will. How he ''hewed us 
with words" like the prophet of old, until in contrition and 
confession we found ourselves again, like awakened penitents 
at the foot of the cross, crying for pardon from sins of omis- 
sion and of commission. If you listen, you can hear again his 
ringing, piercing comand, "Get right with God! Get out into 
the woods, or anywhere, and be alone with God until the past 
is blotted out and new purpose and will-power be claimed from 
heaven by a desperately earnest and acting faith!" Then hav- 
ing been used of God to smite us, and humble us unto true re- 
pentance, and abandonment of sin, he would lift us to our feet 
as he enkindled hope and purpose, providing we would re- 
nounce sin and self, and yield all to the will of Christ. Then 
we could go forth, not boasting of any attainment, but to 
maintain henceforth an unbroken attitude of loyalty to our 
Lord, like the unswerving loyalty of the compass needle to its 
north pole. And wonderful was the knowledge of the Bible 
possessed by Prebendary Peploe, of St. Paul's Cathedral, 
London, as he drew therefrom treasures new and old, and 
proclaimed trust and obedience as the secrets of rest, victory 
and fruitfulness in the Christian life. Then each morning, 
after Peploe spoke, in the August conference of 1895, we en- 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 257 

joyed an hour which was spent as nearly within the holy of 
holies as is possible this side of heaven, while Andrew Murray, 
that true mystic, yet faithful worker, who exemplified in such 
remarkable degree the humility, purity and love which he 
urged upon his eager auditors, with the authority of a verita- 
ble prophet of God, and yet with the yearning of a spiritual 
father pleading with his own children that they might be will- 
ing to be blessed in soul as they were in body. 

Holiness is the supreme aim and passion of Andrew Mur- 
ray's life, and his mind and soul seemed consumed with the 
longing that every child of God should become like Christ in 
purity and beauty of character. Mr. McGregor's gentle and 
persuasive manner,springing from a rare sweetness of disposi- 
tion and a deep spiritual experience have left lasting impres- 
sions. And Campbell Morgan has surprised and delighted 
every one, as he has opened, like a flower into fuller bloom 
each year, revealing a sweep of spiritual vision and a grasp of 
the strong eternal, which first brings you down into the depths 
of sorrow for sin, and then lifts you to heights of joy,according 
as you fully claim by faith God's Son as your Redeemer from 
sin. The men of God at Northfield have done much to make 
it what it is as a force for good, but they themselves empha- 
sized God's command on the Mount of Transfiguration, 
"Jesus only." They themselves are willing to be forgotten, 
that "God may be all in all." 

In reflecting upon the conference work of Mr. Moody, the 
reader cannot fail to have noted certain interesting charac- 
teristics of the conventions. They are wonderfully Catholic 
in spirit. Northfield, as Dr. Schofield, pastor of the Congre- 
gational Church, of the town, aptly says: "Is a world wide in- 
fluence for evangelical truth, and it stands for the widest bro- 
therhood consistent with loyalty to Christ." 

The Keswick Conference at Lake Windermere, England, 
though repudiating sinless perfection, stands distinctly for 
truths along the line of spiritual attainment, for rest, victory 
17 



258 D WIGHT L. MOODY. 

and power, through an overwhelming faith following upon an 
utter surrender and absolute dependence upon the Holy Spir- 
it. And Keswick is a lofty mountain peak, but with a narrow 
base. Northfield rejoices in a lofty peak, but maintains 
as well, a broad foundation. The High Church Bishop and 
the unordained rescue worker, speak from the same platform, 
within the same hour, and every man who accepts the great 
cardinal truths of evangelical Christianity is upon a level there. 
Northfield has been the beneficiary of many thinkers and lead- 
ers who owe their all to Keswick as the Pentecost of their lives. 
But Northfield, in breadth, scope and catholicity far surpasses 
the English conference. Here every revealed truth is al- 
lowed emphasis in due proportion, and every well tested 
method of practical work is proclaimed to eager audiences. 
Another characteristic is Unity in Diversity. 

What keen ear has ever detected a speaker's sectarian 
affinity at Northfield? There, as nowhere else, is emphasized 
the sometimes forgotten aphorism, 'The things in which we 
agree are more than the things in which we differ. 7 * There 
we behold in living fact union in Christ for the salvation of the 
world out of Christ. But it is the unity not of sameness but 
of diversity. The unity not of the company of musicians all 
playing the same instrument, but the unity of the many instru- 
ments, blended into a perfect harmony, complete and melo- 
dious, as mere sameness can never be. The August confer- 
ence is a fine modern specimen of a great voluntary Ecumeni- 
cal Council, composed of representatives from every branch 
of the church universal, all pressing across denominational 
fences in order to stand side by side, whilst with one heart and 
voice they proclaim their credo: "One Lord, one faith, one 
baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all and 
through all, and in you all." 

Another characteristic interesting to note is, Northfield 
sanity and balance. The hobbyist has never gotten a hearing 
for his hobby there. Emotionalism, fanaticism, asceticism, or 



THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE. 259 

sinless perfection, has never gained the platform nor been per- 
mitted to find expression in the audience. The deeper 
truths of the Bible, concerning our Lord's second coming, and 
the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the possibility and duty of 
living a loyal, victorious and fervent-filled life have had full 
and free expression and emphasis, but never the extravagant 
and illogical deductions which ill balanced minds may deduce 
therefrom. Mr. Moody was himself always sane, well-balanced 
and wholesome, so must everything be of which he had control. 

Practicality was another striking characteristic of North- 
field. The name Christian Workers' Conference, was no 
meaningless and inappropriate title for the chief summer gath- 
ering. Its purpose was, in every possible way to help feeble 
workers to become strong and efficient. Christian workers 
who are masters of their Bible and having the ability to apply 
it to life and duty, have the platform and the welcome there. A 
formal sermon, of rigid homiletical form, however excellent, 
or the speculative thesis is in little demand or scarcely toler- 
ated. One of the greatest living scholars read two learned 
essays on successive days, and they were flat failures, on those 
occasions and in that atmosphere. But men like Dr. Gordon 
or Sidney A. Selwyn, of Bournemouth, England, with ade- 
quate scholarship and strong unction who can grasp the great 
truth or principle of God's word, and with apt illustration and 
skilled force apply it, to the mind, heart and conscience of the 
auditors, is in constant demand. The unappreciative visitor 
has more than once called Northfield a spiritual sanitarium 
where everyone is kept busy counting his own pulse and diag- 
nosing his own moral ailments; but no impression could be 
more inaccurate. Despite the tendency to introspection, yet 
the balance is always maintained by an alert practicability. 
Northfield has ever emphasized and only tolerated that truth 
which can be on the instant transmuted into experience and 
action. 

It is not a hospital, but a spiritual store house where new 



260 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

supplies can be gained for the long and weary journeys in 
paths of duty which shall lie before us. The interests of the 
inner man are made supreme, because they are supreme, and 
are essential to all soul vigor and outward accomplishment. 
And whilst subjective themes have received a very full share 
of attention, they have been always balanced and propor- 
tioned by consideration of the outward interests of the Mas- 
ter's kingdom. 

At a missionary meeting during the August Conference of 
1895, thirty-five missionaries, representing every field of the 
wide world, were on the platform, and pleaded for the interest 
of the kingdom of Christ to the ends of the earth. What in- 
spiration to renewed devotion and heroism in that scene! 
Those thirty-five heroes of the cross had been doing some- 
thing more than feeling their spiritual pulse for the last quar- 
ter of a century. Every phase of applied Christianity is fully 
and strongly presented at Northfield, and the personal impetus 
which the visitor received from all the surroundings and from 
Mr. Moody himself, whose life achievement has been beyond 
that of any other man, to carry the gospel to those who are 
unable, or unwilling to receive it, is the most irresistible influ- 
ence of the whole convention. 

A last striking trait of Northfield in its conference work, is 
its spiritual power. As the tonic breezes of the mountains 
to the fevered brow, so are the spiritual forces at Northfield 
felt at once. The least earnest or sensitive nature cannot re- 
main long at the conference without spiritual impressions of 
the most decided kind. If really obdurate or calloused in 
heart he will go away to criticise or to scoff. But if he remain 
he will soon realize the softening influences of the place, are 
affecting his mind and heart, his conscience and his will. And 
if he tarry longer the vision of self deficiency, of hitherto un- 
realized sin, will break the proud nature into sorrow and 
shame, and he will find himself yearning after and seeking for 
a closer walk with Christ. 



THE NORTH-FIELD CONFERENCE. 261 

If you ask what have been the results of the Northfield Con- 
ferences, we must answer, our Omniscient Heavenly Father 
alone knows them. These conferences are now recognized 
throughout Christendom as one of the most influential forces 
in the world for the development of Christian life and service. 
Thousands have attended them to learn, to know and love the 
Lord Jesus Christ as they never did before; have been enabled 
there to give themselves to Him in a complete and irreversible 
surrender, and to go forward to the glory of God in the power 
of the Holy Spirit, in a fulness that without this experience 
and this blessing at Northfield had been quite impossible. They 
have found this place to be to them not merely another Bethel, 
where vows to God have been often made, and as often broken 
but a veritable Penuel, where vows made have henceforth 
been kept, because here we have seen God face to face, and 
through that crowning vision, there has come to us a new 
name and a new nature. 

Happy and blessed days with Moody at Northfield! They 
can never be relived! But as the dying worker for God said 
of himself, "Moody is not dead! He shall still live," not a vis- 
ible personality, but a potential influence, and because of his 
absence, the Spirit of God will all the more tenderly and suf- 
ficiently prosper and bless these Christian enterprises in com- 
ing days, and enable them all the more fully to fulfil their mis- 
sion of bringing light and grace to the hungry, aspiring Chris- 
tians of our land, who pray that the beauty of the Lord our 
God, may be upon them, and that the work of their hands may 
be established to His glory and to the salvation of the whole 
world. The deepest longing and the loudest cry of the church 
of the present age is for a more Christ like character and for 
victory over self and sin, and for abounding fruit in the sal- 
vation of other souls. The Northfield Conferences are one of 
God's most important answers to this earnest and noble aspir- 
ation. For all that they-have done, and shall do, praise be unto 
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, world without end, Amen. 




Mount Hermon. 

F we could trace some of the mightiest streams of hu- 
man activity and enterprise up to their most distant 
sources, they might be found to issue from very small 
beginnings; as the Father of Waters takes its rise 
from the small lakes of Minnesota, or in the far away 
springs and glaciers of Yellowstone Park. As we gaze with 
admiration on the splendid groups of buildings at Northfield 
and on Mount Hermon, we can scarcely realize that many of 
them rose up from their foundations under the magic power 
of song, as the walls of Thebes arose under the strains of 
Amphion's lyre. Yet such is the case. The fact is, that no 
publisher would agree to publish 

GOSPEL HYMNS, 

a small hymn book that Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey wished 
to have printed for use in their meetings in Scotland and Eng- 
land, and Mr. Moody was compelled to publish it at his own 
expense. The copyright of that small book has proved itself 
an unfailing source of supply like the springs of the Jordan. 

Between his meetings at Birmingham and London, Mr. 
Moody ran up to meet with some twelve hundred pastors who 
had responded to his invitation to meet in conference before 
beginning their great London campaign. Desiring to have 
all misapprehensions concerning himself and Mr. Sankey re- 
moved, he invited them to ask him any questions they de- 
sired. For a half hour or more, questions, wise and other- 
wise, pertinent and impertinent, were almost flung at him. 
How was Mr. Moody paid? Was Mr. Sankey peddling 
American organs? What about the copyright of the singing 
books? etc. etc. 

Mr. Moody settled these questions in his decisive way. He 
informed them that he had money enough for all his personal 



MOUNT HERMON. 263 

expenses, and did not ask the city of London for a penny, and 
that Mr. Sankey was not selling organs. Then to remove 
from the revival even the least flavor of speculation, he im- 
mediately resigned into the hands of Mr. Mathieson, an emi- 
nent London banker, all right and title to the profits of the 
books in question. The amount of royalty was then consid- 
erably over five thousand pounds. Mr. Moody declined to 
receive it. Mr. Mathieson then said: "This is American mon- 
ey and we can not keep it here," and proposed to send it to 
the United States to aid the cause of Christ in this land. 
Among the names mentioned by Mr. Moody was that of Mr. 
George H. Stuart, to whom the draft was accordingly sent and 
it was applied as we have already stated, to aid in paying off 
the debt on the Chicago Avenue Church. Soon after Mr ( 
Moody's return to America he invited Mr. Farwell of Chica- 
go, Mr. Doyde, of New York and Mr. Stuart of Philadelphia, 
to meet him in Northfield, and asked them to act as trustees 
for the royalty fund of the hymn books about to be published 
by Biglow & Main, and to dispose of that fund for Christian 
work disconnected with any church use. They accepted the 
trust, which in a few years amounted to over three hundred 
thousand dollars, and it was out of this fund that the corner- 
stone of Mr. Moody's magnificent educational work at 
Northfield and Mount Hermon was laid. 

Scarcely was the school work at Northfield well under way 
and its success assured, than the same reasons which had 
wrought so powerfully with Mr. Moody in behalf of the Sem- 
inary, began to appeal with equal cogency for the establish- 
ment of 

A SCHOOL FOR BOYS. 

With marvelous sagacity and foresight, and with the in- 
stinct of genius, Mr. Moody mapped out in his mind a most 
happy combination of manual labor and mental toil in the edu- 
cation of young men. The first thing they needed was a farm 
within easy access of Northfield, and yet at some distance 



264 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

from town. Providentially at just that time a farm was about 
to pass under the hammer, not an acre of which could have 
been bought for love or money at any time during the pre- 
vious fifty years. It was located across the river from North- 
field, and about four miles away, contained four hundred acres 
of land, and was by far the finest situation to be found in all 
that region. The whole tract was bought in 1881 for $12,500 
— the timber alone being worth more than half the purchase 
price — and it was christened Mount Hermon. 

Mr. Hiram Camp, the gentleman who wrote his check for 
$25,000, with which the farm was bought and the school com- 
menced, has often since declared that no act of his life ever 
yielded him greater dividends of happiness. "There's no joy 
like the joy of giving." Quite a different sentiment this, from 
the one a Standard Oil magnate once uttered in the presence 
of the writer, when he said, "It's lots of fun to make money." I 
believe the great wealth which this multi-millionaire kept as 
long as he could — even to the edge of his grave — gave him far 
less happiness than the former gentleman received from the 
$25,000 he gave away. 

The situation of Mount Hermon is more commanding than 
that of the Seminary buildings, and the surrounding scenery 
more rugged and picturesque. At first the old farm houses 
found upon the place were utilized as dormitories, and when 
enlargement was necessary it was deemed best to continue 

THE FAMILY SYSTEM. 

Cottages accordingly were erected in which a large number 
of boys were divided into groups of not more than twenty in 
each house under the care of matrons. This method of caring 
for the boys was modified in 1885 by raising the age of admis- 
sion to sixteen, a change involving the whole scope of the 
school. Experience has proved that results would be more 
satisfactory if the boys were of sufficient age to have formed 
definite purposes in life. 



MOUNT HERMON. 265 

MR. MOODY'S CONCEPTION 

of the Mount Hermon School was bed-rocked upon his own 
experience of the deficiency of his education, and he was de- 
termined that no worthy young man should grow up without 
the opportunity of making out of himself the very best of 
which he was capable. His ideal of Mount Hermon was ab- 
solutely devoid of sentiment and intensely practical. The 
school was founded for young men of good physical and men- 
tal stuff, not for weaklings. It was in no sense to be a re- 
formatory school. Lazy, ignorant or vicious boys are not 
received knowingly. Character and capacity rather than 
scholarship are insisted upon. Careful scrutiny of the ante- 
cedents of each applicant has been directed toward making the 
students of Mount Hermon a body of picked young men. 

In order to meet the needs of that large class of young 
men who are earnest and consecrated, but have not the means 
to secure an education at full cost, the price for board and tui- 
tion at Mount Hermon has been fixed at $100 a year. To put 
the cost at this very low figure the students are required to en- 
gage in some form of useful labor, two or three hours a day, 
on the farm, in the shops, in the laundry, and in care taking of 
the buildings. All the housework is performed by tEe stu- 
dents themselves. In the farm especially the students acquire 
practical knowledge of sowing and reaping, the care of do- 
mestic animals, and everything pertaining to agriculture. Be- 
sides the economy thus effected, the health of the students is 
maintained in fullest vigor. The practical knowledge of 
agriculture adds an element of independence to the equipment 
of the student, furnishing him with the consciousness that if 
he should turn out a poor preacher he might yet become a 
good farmer. 

THE MORAL VALUE OF WORK 

cannot be overestimated. The men of moral genius and power 
in all ages have been workers. The patriarchs who put their 



266 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

stamp most deeply upon the moral history, the religious de- 
velopment, of the most remarkable race of all time, tended 
their own flocks. 

Moses, the earliest and greatest of all moral legislators, kept 
the flocks of Jethro for forty years in the land of Midian. 
David, the immortal poet, the inspired prophet, the warrior 
king, was in training for his career of greatness when as a 
shepherd lad he roamed the plains of Bethlehem. Elisha was 
but a farmer's son, ploughing in the field when Elijah called 
him to the prophetic office, yet upon his youthful shoulders 
fell the mantle of the ascending prophet and upon his soul a 
double portion of his master's spirit. John the Baptist, than 
whom had never a greater been born of woman, the great 
preacher of repentance, the forerunner of the Messiah, was 
not clothed in soft raiment, neither dwelt in kings' houses. 

The first founders of Christianity were themselves working 
men. Peter and Andrew were fishing on the lake, James and 
John were mending their nets, when summoned to become 
disciples of the Son of Man and the founders of the Christian 
church. And Paul, the mightiest moral force among them 
all, the theologian, philosopher, missionary hero, and martyr, 
also illustrates the value of work, for while he was an apostle, 
his own hands ministered to his necessities, for by occupation 
he was a tent maker. Yet, these working men were they who 
triumphed over the bitter hatred of the Jew, and the en- 
trenched heathenism of the Gentiles, over the schools of phil- 
osophy and the palaces of the Caesars; who turned the world 
upside down and gave a new religious history to mankind. 

We may advance a step nearer, yet must we reverently 
pause before a humble cottage door, for the ground whereon 
we tread is holy. Jesus of Nazareth was a humble working ' 
man. Even those who question His deity unite in exalting 
Him unapproachably above all other men in moral beauty and 
genius. The greater part of His life was spent in lowly toil. 
He knew what was in man. He knew the untold worth of 



MOUNT HERMON. 267 

work to man's moral and religious nature. He knew its val- 
ue to His own human nature in fitting Him for His public 
ministry. Behold the strange, yet sublime spectacle, the Son 
of God putting the royal stamp of dignity on the life of a 
working man, and while other conditions were open to His 
choice, content for years to eat His bread in the sweat of His 
face. Do not such long years of patient, submissive work be- 
speak the infinite worth of toil in the evolution of the highest 
spiritual character? 

If labor is so vitally connected with virtue, the reason for 
it must lie in the very nature of man. There must be some 
natural, physical reason for it. The most recent scientific in- 
vestigations of the relations existing between brain and body, 
show that there is a direct connection between the will and 
the brain, and through it with the muscular system. Flabby 
muscles and weak will have a relation to each other of cause 
and effect. The discovery of motor centers in the brain has 
revolutionized scientific thought on the subject of morals and 
religion. It has proven that moral training cannot ignore the 
body, and that physical training which develops the motor 
centers of the brain at the same time lays the basis of strength 
of will, and force of character. Here then, you have a moral 
ground, the highest possible ground, for manual training, and 
for industrial schools. 

It is no curse, therefore, but a great blessing for a youth to 
be put early under the lash of necessity, and the compulsion 
of toil. Work not only puts red corpuscles into the blood, but 
puts iron into the will, and invigorates moral character. It 
not only induces industrious habits, endues the youth with 
practical talent,equips with additional resources,reinforces the 
soul on the side of independence, but, above all, it gives that 
sympathy with working men which can not be counterfeited, 
which puts a man "en rapport" with the masses, without which' 
no man can be a preacher, or orator, or tribune of the people 
in the highest sense. 



268 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

It was this fact in the life of Mr. Moody — that he was him- 
self a lad upon the farm — that he started with his feet firmly on 
the earth, that his whole early life was one of stern realism — 
which enabled him to become the greatest tribune to the 
masses in this century, and to report to every man his own 
moral and spiritual consciousness, because he himself had 
gone through all the stratas of human experience. 

THE -FOUNDATION 

of Mount Hermon on an industrial basis was, consequently, 
the natural outgrowth of Mr. Moody's own life. It was his 
desire not to educate young men away from their own sphere, 
but to teach them to find it, and to train them to meet exist- 
ing modern conditions. The wisdom of this foundation has 
been approved by the experience of many years. The quality 
of the student body has been steadily rising. Amid such a 
general air of downright earnestness the lazy pupil is soon dis- 
placed, and his room is filled by another. A process of na- 
tural selection has gone forward, and there has been a survi- 
val of the fittest. The result is a student body composed 
largely of sifted manhood. 

THE MORAL AND RELIGIOUS TONE 

of the school is of the very highest, as is shown by the fre- 
quent report that all the members of the two upper classes are 
professing Christians. One can never overestimate the effect 
which the mere breathing of a spiritual atmosphere has upon 
a lad as he daily meets with devoted teachers in the classroom. 
Then comes the more personal contact, in study, work, or play 
with earnest, loving fellow students, to some one of whom he 
may be drawn to open the inner depths of his soul. 

All these spiritual forces at Mount Hermon seem to be 
gathered up in the 

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION, 

into one great center and mainspring of religious life, and zeal 



MOUNT HERMON. 269 

and activity. This association has the largest membership to 
be found in any school in America. Here is fostered under 
zealous yet judicious teachers and students a wholesome and 
well-rounded Christian character. From this source of power 
and wisdom the spiritual energies of the young men flow forth 
into channels of personal usefulness. 

Ten or a dozen groups of young men find their way up and 
down the river or over the hills into remote districts wherever 
a school house may be found, or the open door of a farm- 
house. It may be only a small prayer meeting that is held, 
with a handful of people to share in it. It may be that a 
Sabbath School is maintained, and sometimes the gospel may 
be preached in a simple, earnest manner. But whatever the 
form of service rendered, the great value of all such work is 
to bring a warm hearted Christian student into a personal 
contact with precious souls whom he may influence with all 
the spiritual force that is in him. Here many a hidden talent 
has been unearthed and the blessed power of the Holy Spirit 
may have crowned a student's labors with such success as to 
fire his heart with a great desire to enter the ministry of the 
gospel. For all such young men the full classical course is 
sufficient to pass them into college. The record which such 
students have made at Yale, Princeton, Amherst, Williams, 
for high scholarship, fine Christian character, for adaptability 
to their work, has been, and is to-day, the very highest testi- 
mony to the wise, sound, thorough, practical training and the 
lofty enthusiasm of soul which Mount Hermon inspires and 
imparts to the great body of students which are privileged to 
enjoy the advantages there afforded. 

More than two thousand young men have passed through 
the halls of Mount Hermon during the last eighteen years. 

Besides the price of board and tuition received, $100 per 
studentj it costs another $100 each to maintain the school. 
To meet this great deficit at Mount Hermon and an almost 
equal one at the Seminary, in all about $80,000 per annum, 



270 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

the royalty fund from the sale of Gospel Hymns has been re- 
ligiously set aside, and is divided equally between them. 

At present this fund meets nearly one half the deficit. The 
balance must be made up by personal solicitation, or by the 
still greater generosity of its long-time friends. 

For many years it had been 

MR. MOODY'S GREATEST CARE 

to secure the large sums needed to maintain the Bible Insti- 
tute, Northfield Seminary, and the Mount Hermon School for 
boys. To realize faintly the magnitude of his labors it is only 
necessary to state that an endowment of $3,000,000 will be 
needed to provide the necessary income to carry on these 
great institutions and equip them still more thoroughly for 
the great work they are doing. We hope this vast sum may 
be speedily secured — we know of no charity in this country 
more worthy — that these memorials of Mr. Moody's devo- 
tion to the cause of Christian education may be placed upon 
the most enduring of earthly foundations. 





The World's Fair Campaign. 

OLUMBUS discovered America in 1492. In 1892 
Chicago was discovered by the rest of the world 
as a city with upward of a million people, pos- 
sessed with a wonderful power of doing great 
things, fitly expressed in her laconic motto, "I 
will." While the industrial and commercial world were pre- 
paring for the grandest exposition ever created, Chicago was 
raising millions of money for the erection of the White City 
by the Sea, which arose as if by magic on the shores of Lake 
Michigan, fairer and more beautiful, at least more wonder- 
ful, than ever Venice appeared in the days of her highest 
splendor. At the same time, Dr. John Henry Barrows was 
conceiving and arranging for the most remarkable gathering 
of devout men from the four quarters of the globe, the very 
ends of the earth, ever witnessed since devout Jews from 
every nation under the sun went up to Jerusalem to worship 
at the great feast of Pentecost. 

At this Parliament of Religions, representative men from 
nearly all the larger protestant sects of Christendom, cardi- 
nals and prelates, Syrian priest and Greek patriarch, leaders 
of modern religious thought in India, Buddhist priests and 
Brahmins, orange-robed monks and devotees, Confucian 
philosopher, the high priest of the ancient Shinto sect of 
Japan, Jew and Gentile, Greek and Roman, Pagan and Bar- 
barian were to gather in most solemn conclave. 

Meet for what? Not to discuss politics, not to devise plans 
for selfish or national aggrandizement, nor even primarily to 
enjoy travel to lands new and strange, but simply, grandly, 
for this: To tell to each other with fraternal regard and in- 
terest what was the highest and the best they thought or 
knew concerning Duty and Destiny; concerning Heaven and 
God. 



272 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Strangely enough, Mr. Moody was the same year circling 
the globe on his most extended and successful missionary 
tours through the Orient, returning via Europe. His mind 
was also on Chicago. He knew that millions of people would 
throng the World's Fair as the devotees of India flock to 
sacred Benares, in order that they might see the glories, the 
wonders and the beauties of the modern Venice. 

Mr. Moody returned to America under as solemn a vow 
as that which sent Paul up. to Jerusalem, a vow wrung from 
his heart after eight and forty hours wrestling with the angel 
of God through nights of terror more dreadful than Jacob 
ever dreamed of. We can yet remember the shiver of fear 
and sympathy that ran through our hearts when the daily 
press depicted the anguish and fear with which the passen- 
gers faced most imminent death while yet they prayed might- 
ily unto God for his saving power. Mr. Moody thus narrated 
his experience throughout the hours of such prolonged an- 
xiety: 

"Just as I was preparing to leave London the last time I 
was there, I called upon a celebrated physician, who told me 
that my heart was weakening, that I had to let up on my 
work, and that I must be more careful of myself. I was go- 
ing home with the thought that I would not work quite so 
hard. I was on the steamer Spree, and when the announce- 
ment came that the vessel was sinking, and we were there 
forty-eight hours in a helpless condition, no one on earth 
knows what I passed through during those hours, as I 
thought that my work was finished and that I would never 
again have the privilege of preaching the gospel of the Son 
of God. And on that dark night, the first night of the acci- 
dent, I made a vow that if God would spare my life and bring 
me back to America I would come back to Chicago at this 
World's Fair and preach the gospel with all the power that 
He would give me; and God has enabled me to keep that vow 
during the past five months. It seems as if I went to the very 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 273 

gates of heaven during those forty-eight hours on the sinking 
ship, and God permitted me to come back and preach Christ 
a little longer. 

For many months before at Mr. Moody's urgent request of 
the churches abroad, the children of God were offering un- 
ceasing prayer for the blessing and the power of God to fall 
upon them and upon the city of his devorion. Not only was 
his heart to be greatly comforted by the assurance of their 
most fervent supplications, to be greatly helped throughout 
all the summer by their most generous contributions, but he 
was also to find from among his many friends across the sea 
some of his most ardent, and faithful co-laborers. 

In our ministers' meetings in Chicago, where I was then 
pastor, and in our churches generally, the coming of Mr. 
Moody and the great evangelistic campaign which was to 
open with the opening of the World's Fair, were the topics 
of frequent conversation and the blessing of God was invoked 
with much earnest and prevailing prayer. 

The problems presented to the church by the vast popula- 
tion of Chicago are the most complex and difficult of all with 
which our great cities are compelled to grapple. Nowhere 
else is the struggle between capital and labor more intense 
and bitter. In no other city have the socialists and anar- 
chists secured such a dangerous foothold. Only those who 
have faced such problems can appreciate the urgency of the 
petitions which besought the favor and the blessing of Al- 
mighty God upon the united, earnest, and aggressive work 
that was to be done in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Before entering upon the sketch of the great work done by 
Mr. Moody in his Chicago campaign, which began and ended 
with the World's Fair, a single incident regarding Mr. 
Moody's attitude towards the Parliament of Religions, may be 
related, as showing his remarkable level-headedness and his 
possession of a vast amount of good, hard, common sense. 

When some of the evangelists and ministers connected with 
18 



274 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

the campaign seemed to feel that Jesus Christ and the gospel 
were being belittled and disgraced by the proceedings at Col- 
umbus Hall, they suggested that an attack upon the parlia- 
ment should be made all along the line. Mr. Moody was very 
emphatic in his reply: "Preach Christ, hold up Christ. Let 
the Parliament of Religions alone. Preach Christ." 

The views, impressions, and opinions one may have regard- 
ing any great religious movement will depend largely upon the 
stand point taken by the beholder. It was our privilege to at- 
tend the opening and closing meetings of 

THE PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS, 

to hear the first recital together, by a vast throng of people 
gathered from the ends of the earth, of the universal prayer: 
"Our Father which art in heaven," and the grand Hallelujah 
Chorus given at its close by the Apollo Club. As that chorus 
burst out in praise of Christ who shall reign King of kings, 
and Lord of lords, we could but accept it as prophetic of the 
hour when among all the nations of the earth "every knee 
shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 
to the glory of God the Father." 

We attended nearly all the day sessions of the parliament, 
and are persuaded that no address given upon that platform 
was received with greater sympathy, bursting almost into ap- 
plause, than the grand sermon delivered by B. Fay Mills, on 
"Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World." 

There was no discussion allowed at the sessions, but the 
teachers of the great ethnic faiths of heathenism and of every 
form of faith that recognizes God or Christ in Christendom 
came together to tell the best they knew or hoped for con- 
cerning 

GOD, AND DUTY, AND DESTINY. 

To those questions which Christianity might justly ask of 
heathenism, as represented by Confucian philosopher, Bud- 
dhist priest, Hindoo monk, or Shinto High Priest, there was 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 275 

no reply. There can be no reply to such questions as these: 

Whom can you place beside the incomparable Jesus? Does 
not the "Light of Asia" fade away before the "Light of the 
World?" Where is your nobler love, your grander purpose, 
your greater sacrifice? Where is your more spotless Lamb, 
your more precious blood, your more complete salvation? 
Where is there such propitiation for sin, such satisfaction for 
the conscience, such peace for the soul? Where can you find 
a softer pillow for the dying head, a more certain hope of a 
glorious resurrection for the body and for the immortality of 
the soul? 

Tell us, since the star glittered over Bethlehem's plains, has 
any one but Jesus arisen to claim "the heathen for his inheri- 
tance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession?" 

The fact that the ignorance, the superstition, the Impotence 
of heathenism were, by those representative teachers from the 
Orient, confessed by their silence, is, in our opinion, an all 
sufficient justification for the convocation of that parliament. 
We have heard from their own lips that they know nothing of 
any Savior from sin, and that they have no sure hope of 
any personal immortality. 

During the six months the World's Fair was to remain 
open, the gospel, the good tidings of the grace of God, was to 
be proclaimed to the thousands, the tens of thousands, the 
hundreds of thousands coming and going to the White City 
by the Sea; and to other hundreds of thousands living in that 
great, bustling, driving city of Chicago. 

Mr. Moody had come to the conviction that God wanted 
that work done. If so, it ought to be done, and it was done. 
For months before the opening of the World's Fair the min- 
isters of the city had been earnestly and prayerfully consider- 
ing the problems before them. The most of them decided to 
remain in the city all summer. Dr. E. P. Goodwin, of the 
First Congregational Church, did so for the first time in twen- 
ty-six years. Most of the churches were thronged all summer. 



276 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Many people were glad of the rest of the Sabbath day. An 
amusing incident occurred at Plymouth Church one morning, 
where the crowd who wanted to hear the eloquent Dr. Gun- 
saulus surged far out into the street. One man was elbowing 
his way vigorously to the door regardless of other people's 
comfort, and to their protests he vehemently replied: "I came 
to Chicago to see the World's Fair, and Buffalo Bill's Wild 
West Show and to hear Dr. Gunsaulus, and I must get in." 
And he did. 

Before Mr. Moody left his home for Chicago he had gath- 
ered the students and teachers of Northfield and Mt. Hermon 
about him at six o'clock in the morning, to seek the 
anointing of the Holy Spirit and to pray for the work to come. 
"If you think anything of me," said he, with choking voice, "if 
you have any regard for me, if you love me, pray for me that 
God may anoint me for the work in Chicago. I want to be 
filled with the spirit, that I may preach the gospel as I never 
preached it before. We want to see the salvation of God as 
we have never seen it before." It may truly be said that it was 

A CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER. 

The inauguration of the campaign, as was most fitting, was 
at the Chicago Avenue Church, better known as Moody's 
Church. The spacious audience room will seat nearly twenty- 
five hundred people, and the lecture rooms on the first floor 
nearly as many more. Morning, afternoon and evening the 
great church was thronged to hear Mr. Moody. On the plat- 
form were seated the teachers of the Institute, several minis- 
ters and a number of singers. During the week there were 
special services in the church for prayer and praise. On the 
second Sabbath Mr. Moody preached again, both morning 
and evening. The workers were gathering, the plans matur- 
ing for a wide-spreading work of evangelization throughout 
the city. 

Chicago was and is, an open city in many respects. Thea- 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 277 

tres and music halls are open on Sunday, as usual. Many of 
the smaller shops and stores ditto, while its seven thousand 
saloons, with blinds drawn down, leave their doors on the 
latch. But one must remember that since the great fire in 
1871 more^than one million people have been added to her 
population. Of that immense multitude less than one-fourth 
are Americans. There are at least one hundred thousand 
more Germans than Americans, and many practically foreign 
cities occupy some of the district. This is notably true in a 
South east district, where above 25,000 Bohemians live with 
their own theatres, churches, banks and newspapers and with 
only two protestant missions of any strength working among 
them. Yet I believe there is no city in the United States 
where the evangelical churches of various creeds and tongues 
are putting forth greater energies, or with better results than 
in this same Chicago. Mr. Moody, who knew the city thor- 
oughly, had fixed on a section on the west side in which three 
theatres were located, the Haymarket, Standard and Empire, 
as one of the centers of his summer campaign. Having se- 
cured a large building on West Madison street, the first floor 
was fitted up as a mission hall, the upper floors being used 
for the living and sleeping rooms of some thirty young men 
from the Institute. These were the scouts, recruiting officers, 
the advertising agents, the midnight workers and the ushers 
and workers for the larger meetings to be held in the theatres. 
This hall was open every evening. At ten o'clock there 
was a special rescue service, to which good singing, an attrac- 
tive room and cheery welcome combined to draw in a great 
lot of miserable, idle, shiftless, aimless, half-drunken, hopeless 
wrecks of humanity. These were just a sample of the lost and 
ruined men and women who were to have the gospel of deliv- 
erance and forgiveness and salvation preached to them in 

HAYMARKET THEATRE 

for the next six months. Here it was in this theatre which 



278 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

would seat about three thousand people, that Air. Moody took 
his stand for the campaign, preaching every Sunday morning 
but two until ( )ctober had passed, to an audience that crowded 
the building to the last foot of standing room, and his first 
sermon was preached on the third Sunday in May on "Kino- 
Herod and John the Baptist; the Murderer and the Martyr," 
over two hundred persons being deeply impressed. 

During all the weeks of that beautiful summer the multi- 
tudes of people surged about these theatres like the restless 
tides that ebb and flow in our rivers by the sea. While thous- 
ands came out of the miserable districts near by, the great 
majority of the audiences were made up of World's Fair visi- 
tors. Mr. Spurgeon once replied to a friend who suggested 
that he ought to make a tour around the world and preach to 
everybody: "I can just stand in my place in London, and let 
the world come to me." So Mr. Moody preached in Chicago 
and from the ends of the earth people were gathered together. 

This is a most remarkable fact in Mr. Moody's career, that 
for more than twenty-five years the largest buildings that 
could be found in any metropolis have failed to contain the 
multitudes that have thronged to hear him preach the old, 
old story of the gosepl. 

In a few weeks Mr. Moody's force of workers had been 
vastly increased. Their names would cover a page — while 
churches everywhere were being thrown open to them. 
Among many others the writer was glad to offer his church 
in Rogers Park, North Side, to the committee and to welcome 
to his pulpit for union services Rev. Dr. Torrey, superinten- 
dent of the Bible Institute, Rev. J. H. Elliot and others. He 
considers it a kind providence that thus gave him the oppor- 
tunity of laboring again in any connection with Mr. Moody 
after the lapse of all the years since 1876. 

With the coming of June, Rev. John McNeil, 
THE SCOTTISH SPURGEON, 
arrived. He proved to be a strong right hand to Mr. Moody, 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 279 

and remained, till the very last service, one of the most popu- 
lar preachers of them all. Whenever Mr. Moody or McNeill 
was to preach, one had to go very early to have any hope of 
getting within the building. 

Upon personal invitation extended, he addressed our min- 
isters' Union one Monday morning. Describing the work 
that was being carried on in hope of reaching the hearts and 
consciences of thousands, he said that 'Treadling is like tight 
rope walking — you either get there, or you don't." It is 
needless to say that McNeill always got there. If that was a 
bit of Chicago slang, he had quickly "caught on." 

At the afternoon service one day McNeill took for his theme 
the story of the man with a withered hand, which is found in 
the third chapter of Mark, of which we give a portion: 

"The Savior's interest centered in the man with the with- 
ered hand — in him of all the crowd of the synagogue. The 
Lord loves a fellow that's down. Jesus said, 'Stand forth.' 
Then he said, 'Stretch forth thy hand.' Two words did the 
business. The man stood forth. Play the man if you're go- 
ing to be a Christian. You're brazen faced enough as a sin- 
ner. You don't care who sees you going into the saloon, but 
you're ashamed to be seen coming to Jesus. 

"You go to the devil without a blush; don't be ashamed to 
be a Christian. May God give you courage. When the man 
stood forth Jesus made short work of the withered hand. 
They may scoff you into hell. They can't scoff you out. 
Mind you, if I'm saying sharp things, my heart's warm. 
God's gospel works not to cut to pieces, but to cut out the 
evil. Stand forth in the midst. Don't try to sneak into 
heaven. Resist the devil and he'll flee from you. He's a big- 
ger coward than you are, and that's saying a good deal. One 
man with Jesus is a splendid majority. The man with the 
withered hand might have thought Jesus an imposter. Look 
to Jesus — don't look at your sins. Taking Jesus at his word 
saves me forevermore. 



2 8o DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"Now, I want to follow the man home. There is an old 
tradition that the man with the withered hand was a stone 
mason spoiled for stone-cutting. 

"Imagine the scene when the man went home to his family 
with his withered hand restored! The explanation was all in 
one word — Jesus. My God, what a family blessing salvation 
is! And God let the man live on to prove his restoration. 
God doesn't whisk a man away to heaven as soon as he's con- 
verted. He keeps him alive to let him work. Henceforth 
that man was to work to the glory of God. The sermon is 
preached. Now it's to do it. We can't be born full-grown, 
but we may be born now. Now away home and confess 
Jesus." 

We see at once that his style is brusque, the sentences short, 
sharp, incisive, and leading to instant decision. I recall an 
amusing story he once told about his little boy, but rather at 
his own expense. It occurred while he was pastor in Lon- 
don. Mrs. McNeill being an invalid at the time, it was her 
custom to ask the children after their return from church 
where the text was, then to repeat it and to tell her about the 
sermon. To her usual questions one Sunday the little fellow 
replied, "I've forgotten the text and I can't remember much 
about the sermon, but one thing I know, there's got to be 
more work and less talk about the house after this." 

Always and everywhere Mr. Moody labored with boundless 
enthusiasm. "I believe this is the best day Chicago has ever 
seen," he would say, after some Sabbath of unusual power. 
"Think of the people from these meetings carrying the sacred 
fire with them into all the places where they go throughout 
this country and other lands. Never have I seen such eager- 
ness to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ as in these days. I 
think I have not seen in America anything that has been more 
encouraging than the work in Chicago in the last three 
months." 

By the latter part of August nearly forty ministers, lay evan- 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 281 

gelists and singers, with from two to three hundred other 
Christian workers, were engaged in the work which was being 
carried on in the different districts in Chicago, in tents, and 
halls and theaters, and a dozen churches that had been placed 
at Mr. Moody's disposal. 

On the last Sabbath of the month it was carefully estimated 
that over 50,000 people had heard the gospel that day, many 
of whom had been brought to the full and glad acceptance of 
Christ as their Savior. 

With the beginning of September a new departure was 
taken, which was nothing less than the securing of 

CENTRAL MUSIC HALL 

for daily services during the last two months of the campaign. 
This spacious hall is located at the heart of the city. Some 
little fear was felt regarding the experiment of pushing the 
meeting into the very center of business hours, from 11 A. M. 
to 1 P. M. 

The opening services were held on the first Sunday in Sep- 
tember and before the close of the day all fears had vanished. 

In the morning McNeill preached a most eloquent and 
inspiring sermon, and in the evening Mr. Moody gave his fav- 
orite sermon on Daniel, which has always aroused the utmost 
interest and enthusiasm in the hearts of his audiences. 

Monday was Labor Day, and whoever has tried to make 
his way through the crowds or waited in vain for a break 
through which he might cross the streets, can imagine the 
difficulties through which one had to force his way to Central 
Music Hall. Yet the hall was filled. The event of the hour 
was 

THE ARRIVAL OF DR. STOECKER, 

late court preacher at Berlin. Mr. Moody had invited him 
to come and help on in this great work. The address made 
upon his introduction, was very appropriate. Only a single 
paragraph can be given: 



282 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"I have come to preach the Word of God to my German 
brethren. I came not to see America, or the World's Fair, 
but to take part with dear Brother Moody in his work of 
evangelization in your great city. I had desire to come before 
but as court preacher I was under orders, and could not 
come. Now, I am no more court preacher of the German 
Empire. I am a preacher of the people. I am no longer 
under orders but free to come and go. It is in my heart to 
testify of my glorious God to the thousands of my countrymen 
who are here, and who will come from all points of the com- 
pass to visit the World's Fair. I would bring them a message 
of tender remembrance and love from their brethren in the 
old fatherland. I would strengthen their love and loyalty to 
the new fatherland they have found. And I would constrain 
them by the love of Christ to seek a home in the everlasting 
fatherland above, where our departed ones abide." 

For about three weeks in many churches and halls Dr. 
Stoecker continued to preach the gospel to his countrymen, 
in charming simplicity and sweetness, and yet with great pow- 
er. He declared that our generation has come upon one of 
the great crises of world history. He urged men with im- 
passioned appeal to take sides, in this great conflict, with our 
God, and stand for truth and right, for the welfare of man and 
the honor of Christ. His late vocation as a court preacher 
revealed itself in the prophetic call of the people to righteous- 
ness as he set forth the evils and dangers that beset the path 
of this great republic in its career of development, pointed out 
the only security for personal, social and national life in the 
religion of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

If we mistake not, that is the note that needs to be sounded 
more loudly and persistently in the opening of this century 
than ever before in the history of our beloved country. Right- 
eousness alone is a sure and sufficient foundation for any na- 
tion that hopes to endure in the final battles between the 
kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this present evil world. 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 283 

The gospel of righteousness for the individual must also be 
proclaimed as the only gospel which can accomplish the salva- 
tion of the nations of the earth. 

MR. MOODY TO CHRISTIAN WORKERS. 

In Paul's consuming zeal for the conversion of his kinsmen 
according to the flesh, the great heaviness and sorrow of his 
heart continually increased. So also as the meetings grew in 
power, and new opoprtunities were opening on every side, it 
seemed as if the burden on Mr. Moody's soul grew heavier. 
He sougrTt to rouse his hearers to greater zeal and devotion 
by his special sermon to Christian workers from the text: 
"They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firma- 
ment; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars 
forever and ever." Dan. XII 13. He said in part: 

"I have taken this theme to-day to encourage us to take 
hold of the great work that lies at our hands in this city in 
these wonderful days. I thank God that I am living in this 
day and in Chicago. The opportunity of a lifetime is before us 
to do a work for God that shall make all heaven to sing for joy. 

"Let us not spend time splitting hairs in theology and 
wrangling about creeds. Let us go to work and save lost 
souls. Our gospel is the only hope of the drunkard, the gam- 
bler, the harlot, the outcast, the despairing, the lost on the 
streets of Chicago. Oh, let us go and save them! Let us 
stretch out our hands and keep them from rushing into the 
pit. All over the city are souls just Hungry to hear the gospel 
of hope, just waiting for a loving Christian heart to lay hold 
on them. Mr. Varley tells us that during the week about five 
hundred men have been blessed in the Standard Theatre meet- 
ings. I would rather save one soul from death than have a 
monument of solid gold reaching from my grave to the heav- 
ens! I tell you the monument I want after I am dead and 
gone is a monument with two legs going about the world — a 
( saved sinner telling of the salvation of Jesus Christ. 



284 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"I don't know that I have ever seen a time in Chicago for 
over thirty years when men seemed to be as ready to be talked 
to about their souls. Talk to them! Tell them of Jesus, who 
can save them from their sins and wretchedness! Tell them 
on the streets, in the cars, in their homes, in the meetings! 
Speak a word of hope and help and life to those poor, hungry 
hearts! I believe more can be done in this city during the 
next six weeks than at any time before, if we all go to work 
and keep at it. It is our harvest time. It is the day of the 
Lord. It is the accepted time." 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER. 

Besides this great burden for the conversion of the souls 
of the perishing, there was the constant and heavy care of 
securing the means of carrying on the work. Mr. Moody had 
no committee behind him responsible for meeting the enor- 
mous expenses, which amounted to over $60,000 for the sum- 
mer. He had entered upon the work believing that God 
would sustain them. At one time, especially, they were in 
great straits. Several thousand dollars were necessary to pay 
the bills falling due in a tew days, and nobody knew where 
it was to come from. The few who knew and were sharing 
in the anxiety were most earnest in prayer. This inner cir- 
cle gathered about the dinner table one day in Mr. Moody's 
room with troubled hearts. Meantime in far away North- 
field Dr. Gordon was presenting to the conference gathered 
there the great work that was being carried on in Chicago un- 
der enormous expense. An appeal was then made for money 
to assist Mr. Moody in carrying forward what they considered 
the greatest work of his life, except the organizing of the 
schools at Northfield, and in half an hour over $6000 was re- 
ported and instantly telegraphed to Mr. Moody at Chicago. 
The telegram was handed to him at that dinner table, and hav- 
ing read it he passed it to Mr. Torrey, who read it aloud: 

"Your friends at Northfield have given to-day as a free-will 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 285 

offering six thousand dollars for your work in Chicago, and 
there is more to follow." 

With a common impulse they pushed their chairs back from 
the table and with tears of gratitude and broken voices, lifted 
up their hearts in praise to God. Thus during all that sum- 
mer they carried all their cares and burdens and anxieties and 
difficulties to the Lord, and the Lord heard and the windows 
were opened, the money came, the difficulties vanished, and 
blessings were poured out upon all the multitudes in copious 
showers of grace. 

THE LAST DAYS. 

The last days of the great campaign, as of the World's Fair 
itself, were certainly by far the best. People seemed to rouse 
themselves to the value of the opportunities which were fast 
slipping away. On the second Sabbath of October nearly 
75,000 people attended the one hundred meetings which were 
held in over fifty different places under Mr. Moody's leader- 
ship. At the close of the week he said: "We have to-day ev- 
erything to encourage us, and nothing to discourage us. This 
has been by far the best work we have yet had. The gospel 
has through these agencies been brought to 150,000 during 
the week. I have never seen greater eagerness to hear the 
Word of God." 

October 8th, the anniversary of the great conflagration, had 
been set aside as 

CHICAGO DAY. 

The city was determined that it should be the greatest day 
of the Fair and it was a tremendous day. Over 700,000 peo- 
ple paid admission into the Fair on that most perfect October 
day. Thousands will remember the day, or the night rather, 
as the means of transportation were so far overtaxed that 
multitudes were not able to get back to their lodgings or 
their homes till the next day. 

Mr. Moody determined to celebrate it by a special service 



286 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

at Central Music Hall lasting from 10 A. M. until 2.30 P. M. 
The most telling part of this most enthusiastic service, which 
was crowded to the street all day, was the delivery by Mr. 
Moody of the same sermon he was preaching twenty-two 
years before in Farwell Hall when the fire broke out. 

On the platform the entire company of evangelists, the 
chief song leaders, and a great chorus choir occupied every 
inch of space. People in the upper galleries seemed to be 
clinging to the very sides of the great hall. Promptly on 
time, Mr. Moody cried out: "Let us sing, 'All hail the power 
of Jesus name' " and from that on, with scarcely a pause, 
there was a perfect torrent of praise from choir, chorus, cor- 
net and organ, in almost a score of selections, interspersed 
with fervent prayers and still more fervid addresses. Mr. 
Moody's sermon occupied the last half hour. It was from 
the text "What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called 
Christ?" It is Pilate's question. Matt. XXVII :22. Before 
the great fire Mr. Moody had been preaching on the life of 
Christ, and this was next to the last sermon in the series he 
had prepared. Farwell Hall was at that time crowded with 
the largest congregation he had ever preached to in Chicago. 

"That night I made one of the greatest mistakes of my life. 
After preaching with all the power that God had given me, 
urging Christ upon the people, I closed up the sermon and 
said, T wish you would take this text home with you and turn 
it over in your minds during the week; and next Sabbath we 
will come to Calvary and the cross, and we will decide what wc 
will do with Jesus of Nazareth.' 

"I have never seen that congregation since. I have hard 
work to keep back the tears here to-day. I have looked over 
this audience, and not a single one is here that I preached to 
that night. I have a great many old friends, and am pretty 
well acquainted in Chicago, but twenty-two years have passed 
away, and I have not seen that congregation since, and I 
will never meet those people again until I meet them in an- 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 287 

other world. But I want to tell you of one lesson I learned 
that night, which I have never forgotten, and that is, when I 
preach to press Christ upon the people then and there, and try 
to bring them to a decision on the spot. I would rather have 
that hand cut off than give an audience a week to decide what 
to do with Jesus. 

"I have often been criticized and people have said, 'Moody, 
you seem to try to get people to decide all at once; why do 
you not give them time to consider?' I have asked God many 
times to -forgive me for telling people that night to take a week 
to think it over, and if he spares my life I will never do it again. 
This audience will break up in a few moments, and we will 
never meet again. There is something awfully solemn about 
a congregation like this." Then follows the sermon proper, 
which we have not space to quote here, but will add a few of 
his 

CLOSING WORDS. 

"I cannot detain you much longer, but I would like to-day 
to press upon you this one question: 'What shall I do with 
Jesus Christ?' I can not speak for the rest of you, but ever 
since that night of the great fire I have determined as 
long as God spares my life to make more of Christ than in 
the past. I think that He is a thousand times more to me to- 
day than he was twenty-two years ago. I made some vows 
after that Chicago fire, and I want to tell you that God has 
helped me to keep those vows. I am not what I wish I was, 
but I am a good deal better than I was when Chicago was 
on fire. * * * * * 

"It is only a little while, a few months, a few years, and we 
will all be gone. May God help us now to pay our vows in 
the presence of all the people. Come now, while I am speak- 
ing, and just make a full, complete and unconditional surren- 
der to God and say, 'Here am I, Lord, take me and use me; 
let me have the privilege of being co-workers with Thee/ and 
there will be a fire kindled here that will burn to all eternity. 



288 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

This hour, this minute, make up your minds that you are go- 
ing to be from this time forth on the Lord's side. Go to your 
home, to your church, and give a ringing testimony for the 
Son of God. Go to work, do what you can for Christ, and 
there will be grand days for this republic and a blessed life for 
you here and hereafter/' 

With a fervent, tearful prayer for the city and the passing 
multitudes, with singing, and the benediction, that great 
throng broke up only to meet again before the great White 
Throne. 

For the few days remaining the work was pressed with re- 
doubled energy all along the line — through the city, into the 
suburbs, within the Fair itself by day and by night — but the 
end hastened. Mr. Moody came to the last days with great 
reluctance. "I can not tell you how sorry I am that this 
blessed work is coming to a close. This has been one of the 
most delightful experiences of my life. I am so thankful that 
God has permitted us to preach the gospel to so many people 
during these six months," 

The last day, October 31st, the last day of the great World's 
Fair, came apace, as all last days will in time. It was cele- 
brated as a day of thanksgiving with services at Central Music 
Hall from ten o'clock in the morning until half-past three in 
the afternoon. The closing services proper were held in the 
Chicago Avenue Church. It was most fitting that they should 
all return to the very center and heart of the movement in the 
church and in the institute for the closing words of thanksgiv- 
ing. The church was crowded as never before. After a few 
brief remarks, Mr. Moody gave a few words of earnest coun- 
sel and expressions of hope for the future, from the text, 
'Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for 
such a time as this?' After a sermon by McNeill, songs, 
prayers and benediction, many farewells were spoken by 
those who had labored so faithfully, earnestly, and successful- 
ly together. Many a Mizpah, "good-bye" and "God bless 




Rev. R. A. Torrey. 





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Reading Room, Chicago Institute. 




Chicago Institute Staircase. 



THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN. 



289 



ycu" were uttered. The golden gates of opportunity which 
the hand of God had flung so widely open six months before 
now swung back upon their hinges. The record of labor 
done was closed, but glorious harvests are still being gathered 
from the good seed of the kingdom which was there sown in 
the hearts of men. 




19 



(& 



The Chicago Bible Institute. 

HERE are two places in America about which 
have centered Mr. Moody's affections and to 
which his untiring devotion and unabated zeal 
were given, until his last heart-beat. The one is 
Northfield — not the lovely village nestling amid 
its beautiful trees on the banks of the river; but the North- 
field of his own erection on the hills overlooking the village 
and the valley of the Connecticut, which cuts its winding 
way to the sea through the most charming pastoral scenes 
to be found in New England. And the other is Chicago, that 
great commercial center of the northwest, which seems des- 
tined to become the metropolis of the United States — a city 
that is enriched by a lake traffic exceeding in tonnage that of 
Liverpool, with a drainage canal just opened into the Missis- 
sippi that may soon become a ship channel to the gulf, thus 
opening up to the enterprise of her merchants the markets of 
the world. To this city, dear to his heart as the scene of his 
earliest trials and great success as a Christian worker and 
minister, Dwight L. Moody has left in his Bible Institute a 
memorial that will stand as long as the city shall endure. 
This training school for Christian workers, close adjoining 
Chicago Avenue Church, is Mr. Moody's final gift to the city 
to which for more than forty years he has given his labors of 
love, his ardent prayers, with boundless courage in the full 
assurance of faith. 

Since the days when he began looking for lost sinners upon 
'The Sands" — the moral Lazaretto, the Five Points of Chi- 
cago — going everywhere, even to the risk of his life to find 
children whom he might coax by his kindness and maple su- 
gar to come to his mission, his great interest and prayer to 
God for these poor, neglected, forsaken masses of humanity 
has: never flagged. 



THE CHICAGO BIBLE INSTITUTE. 291 

In 1886 Chicago had passed the million mark with its pop- 
ulation, who were chiefly foreigners. The Americans are 
scarcely one-quarter of this immense throng. In that city 
were and are, great districts as wretched and vicious as any 
that festered and bred corruption before the great fire. 
Where could workers be found to undertake the great mis- 
sionary work which was so desperately needed? 

On the other hand, in his evangelistic tours throughout the 
country since his great labors of 1874, '75, '76, he had every- 
where seen and met large numbers of young men and young 
women earnest hearted and anxious to serve Christ if only 
some one would show them how and where. He remembered 
his own early struggles alone and under great disadvantages, 
and saw before these young people great possibilities for 
doing good if only they might receive some careful and sys- 
tematic teaching of the Bible. What city more needy than 
Chicago? Where could students find such opportunities for 
practical and personal labor in seeking to win souls and deliv- 
er them from the wiles and snares of the devil? And the 
longer he thought and prayed about it the more established 
grew the conviction that such a training school ought to be 
established. When such convictions finally seized upon him 
the time with him had come to act. The subject began to be 
agitated through the press and from the platform, until, in 
January, 1886, Mr. Moody went to the city and delivered an 
address on "City Evangelization." He dwelt on the needs 
of the honest, self-respecting but non church going working 
people — the infinitely worse condition of the large numbers 
of the idle, the drunken, and the vicious who were rapidly 
sinking into deeper degradation. He pleaded eloquently for 
the training of Christian young men and women who could fill 
the gap between the churches and the masses, and pleaded 
for at least a quarter of a million of dollars to establish the 
proposed school. A society was organized, money was pledged 
very rapidly, plans were at once taken under consideration. 



2Q2 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

With the watch night of December 31st, 1886, Mr. Moody 
began in the First Congregational Church an evangelistic 
four-months' campaign, services being held in various 
churches and skating rinks. During the summer meetings 
were continued in some of the worst districts of the city, ser- 
vices being held in a huge tent. They were very successful, 
great audiences from the lower and lowest stratas of society 
thronged the tents and large numbers were brought to the 
acceptance of Christ. The problem of "How to reach the 
masses" found at least one practical answer — go after them — 
it may be the only answer. 

Meantime in the planning for the school, a series of Bible 
Institutes were held to test the spirit of Christian workers and 
their desire for special instruction to help them to win- souls. 
They were surprisingly successful in attendance and very en- 
couraging in results. In May, 1889, a Bible Institute con- 
vened in "Moody's Church" attendeel by nearly two hundred 
persons all eager to study the word and prepare themselves 
the better to do the Lord's work-. 

All hindrances seemed to vanish before the rising tide of 
Christian enthusiasm and a large property contiguous to the 
church, lying diagonally back of it, fronting on what is now 
Institute Place, was bought and a fine building, costing 
$50,000 was at once begun. It was a three-story building, 
one hundred by one hundred and seventy-five feet in 
dimensions, in the. form of a hollow square, thus affording 
abundance of light and air in the heart of a closely built-up 
section. Three dwellings just north of the church and ad- 
joining, on La Salle avenue, were bought as the home of the 
Women's Department. Having spent $20,000 in completely 
furnishing these various buildings, the "Chicago Bible Insti- 
tute" was formally opened with a week's conference, begin- 
ning September 26th, 1889. 

The object which the Institute has set before it is concisely 
stated in the following terms: 



THE CHICAGO BIBLE INSTITUTE. 293 

"There is a great and increasing demand for men and 
women skilled in the knowledge and use of the word of God 
and familiar with aggressive methods of work to act as pas- 
tor's assistants, city missionaries, general missionaries, Sun- 
day school missionaries, evangelists, Bible readers, superin~ 
tendents of institutions, and in various other fields of Chris- 
tian labor, at home and abroad. All over the land are those 
who would, with a little well directed study, become efficient 
workers in these fields. There are also many men called of 
God into Christian work at too late a period of life to take a 
regular college and seminary course, but who would, with 
such an opportunity of study as the Institute affords, be quali- 
fied for great usefulness. 

"There is a third class: persons who do not intend to devote 
their entire time to gospel work, but who desire a larger ac- 
quaintance with the Bible and methods of Christian work, 
that while pursuing their secular callings they may also work 
intelligently and successfully, in winning men to Christ. The 
object of the Institute is to meet the needs of these several 
classes. Besides these, many ministers and theological stu- 
dents who have enjoyed the advantages of the regular train- 
ing, have spent their vacations with us, getting a better 
knowledge of the English Bible, how to use it in personal 
work, and a larger experience in aggressive methods of 
Christian service. 

"The Bible Institute aims to send out men and women hav- 
ing six characteristics: Thorough consecration, intense love 
for souls, a good knowledge of God's word, and especially 
how to handle it in leading men to Christ, willingness to en- 
dure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, untiring 
energy and the baptism of the Holy Ghost." 

"One great purpose we have in view in the Bible Institute," 
says Mr. Moody, "is to raise up men and women who will be 
willing to lay their lives alongside of the laboring class and 
the poor and bring the gospel to bear upon their lives." 



294 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

The Chicago Bible Institute was to be the head and center 
of the great campaign during the World's Fair. To prepare 
for the great throngs expected it was deemed expedient to add 
two stories more to the building. This was accordingly done 
at a cost of $40,000, and gives the Institute a handsome, well- 
appointed building, five stories high, with dormitory accom- 
modations for upwards of two hundred men. The building 
also contains all needed class rooms, a fine reading room on 
the first floor, a hall seating about four hundred, with needed 
business offices, and a large, well lighted dining room and 
complete culinary arrangements. 

But for the existence of the Bible Institute as a home for 
all his co-laborers, and the noble bands of trained young men 
and women gathered there, the campaign would have been an 
impossibility, as Mr. Moody himself confessed. 

At the farewell meeting of the "World's Fair Evangelistic 
Campaign," held, most fittingly, in the Chicago Avenue 
Church, where the first services inaugurating the movement 
had taken place six months before, Mr. Moody presided, and 
in his final address he said: 

"Little did we think, when we were praying three or four 
years ago, to have a Bible Institute right close to this church, 
that we would have such an opportunity to preach the gos- 
pel to the world as we have had during the last six months. 
We would not have been able to do the work we have done 
during these past months if it had not been for this Institu- 
tion, with its 300 workers gathered from every part of the 
country. Whenever we have started the work at any point 
we have had force enough to go right on with it. I think it 
would have been utterly impossible to have carried on this 
work without the Bible Institute to draw upon. Perhaps 
God raised it up for this very time, as Esther was raised up 
for the time of her people's peril and need." 

Most precious and delightful of all the social meetings en- 



THE CHICAGO BIBLE INSTITUTE. 295 

joyed by the prominent evangelists and singers were the gath- 
erings, after the day's work was done, 

IN MR. MOODY'S ROOM 

at the Institute. Here they came at all hours before mid- 
night from their varied labors in the tents or theaters, in the 
halls or churches, or with the "Gospel Wagon" on the streets. 
Here they talked over their experiences, planned for the mor- 
row and prayed for a mightier baptism of the Holy Spirit. 
But the meeting held on Monday mornings in the hall of the 
Institute was of the greatest interest. There the hundreds 
of workers met together, and under Mr. Moody's spirited 
questioning briefly related what blessings the Lord had been 
pleased to bestow upon the labors of the Sabbath. 

It was our pleasure to drop in occasionally to hear these re- 
ports, and to renew earlier acquaintance with some of his no- 
ble band of co-workers. Here we met again Ferdinand 
Schiverea, whom Mr. Moody declared to be the best tent 
preacher in America. We first knew him in a summer's work 
he carried on years before in a hall and a tent nearby our own 
church in Philadelphia. For three or four years just preced- 
ing 1893 he had spent his summers in Chicago engaged in 
similar work. During this great campaign he had charge of 
the great tent holding twelve or fifteen hundred people. To 
this tent the people thronged. They came off the streets just 
as they were; mothers with babies in their arms, children 
clinging to their skirts and working men in their shirt sleeves. 
There was nothing fixed up in that tent, only clean shavings 
or saw dust strewed on the ground every few days. Occa- 
sionally a treat was given the mothers and children such as 
they enjoyed on "Watermelon Day," when melons by the 
wagon load were cut up and distributed to the eager, thirsty 
crowds. 

The great occasions were the All-day Meetings, which 
would begin at nine o'clock in the morning, and last till eleven 



296 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

at night; the exercises changing with every hour. The meet- 
ings might begin with a prayer and praise service, with songs 
and testimony interspersed, led by Mr. Schiverea. Then an 
hour under care of Dr. Torrey with some of the best singers, 
soloists and the Torrey Quartet from the Bible Institute. Dr. 
Torrey 's addresses were always very awakening and stimulat- 
ing. But of course the great throngs eagerly waited for Mr. 
Moody's appearance. 

MR. MOODY AT A TENT SERVICE. 

At one of these meetings Mr. Moody spoke in substance as 
follows: 

"Christ left so many promises and such good ones you can't 
tell which is best. Some people don't believe them. .Some 
think they are too good to be true. Some think they were 
never meant to be believed, and some think God can't fulfill 
them. Most of the promises are on conditions, but the prom- 
ise of Jesus was not on conditions. Nothing on earth or in 
hell could have prevented His coming. Some promises were 
to the Jews, and not to us; but this promise is to all alike. 

"If we don't appropriate it, it isn't worth anything to us. 
The promise is this: 'Come unto me, all ye that labor and are 
heavy laden and I will give you rest.' The want of the human 
heart is rest; theaters, saloons and pleasures mean the search 
for rest and pleasure. 

"Men are doomed to disappointment if they try to drown 
sorrow in pleasure. If I wanted to find men who had rest I 
would not go among millionaires, or fashion-slaves, or poli- 
ticians. When God made your heart, and mine, he made it 
too big for this world. The world can't fill it. We need two 
worlds. I'll tell you where to find those who have got rest. 
Go among the disciples of Jesus. Come to Jesus and you will 
get rest. That's my experience. You will find it at the cross. 
Come, and you'll get it. 

"I am not going to tell you what 'Come' means. I used to 



THE CHICAGO BIBLE INSTITUTE. 297 

work hard to make people see what it was to 'come/ but I 
don't do that any more. I've gone out of the business. 

"The first thing a baby learns is to come. There's nothing 
mysterious about it. The Bible is full of it. As you follow it 
through, the voice grows louder and louder. Thank God for 
the call! Come with your sins. Your sins may keep you out 
of heaven, but they can't keep you from Christ. Why don't 
you come, chains and all? Jesus can destroy even the appe- 
tite for drink. He means not you goody people, but you sin- 
ners. Christ is not only a sin-bearer, he's a burden bearer. 
Let the Christians come too, and get rest. People don't do 
that. People embalm their sorrows. Cast your sorrows on 
Him. People drop their sorrows while they listen to a preach- 
er or a singer, and then pick them right up again. Cast your 
care on Him. He says, T'll give you rest.' May God write 
this on the heart of every one here." 

"At the close of his sermon, there was an hour's intermission 
or more, when the meetings were resumed with such preach- 
ers as Major Whittle, or John McNeill. The evening closed 
with an earnest gospel sermon by Mr. Schiverea, followed by 
an hour of personal work. It was in these after meetings that 
students from the Institute rendered invaluable assistance. 
Long after ten o'clock the lights were put out, and the happy, 
but tired, workers returned to their quarters to recount the 
successes of the day. 

After a four years' testing of the methods of institute work 
and after the experiences of that six months' campaign, Mr. 
Moody said: "I find no reason to essentially change or modify 
the course of instruction and training of the Bible Institute. 
I am more than ever convinced that we are on right lines, and 
that what is needed are men and women trained in the knowl- 
edge and practical use of the Word of God, and in 
the use of their voices in gospel song. The effect 
of the campaign has been to deepen the love for souls, 
and the earnestness in Christian efforts on the part of the stu- 



298 DWIGIIT L. MOODY. 

dents. It has more than ever convinced them that it is the 
preaching of the old gospel that draws men, and lifts them up; 
and it has given them the advantage of contact with the very 
best preachers in the world." 

This deliberate expression of Mr. Moody's maturest judg- 
ment after the severest strain of practical work to which the 
students could be subjected, is another evidence of the care- 
fulness and thoroughness with which he considered special 
lines of Christian study and work, and the wisdom and energy 
with which he carried them out. 

THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY TEXT BOOK 

in use at the Institute. The course of instruction covers a 
space of two years, and as it always proceeds in a circle, stu- 
dents can enter at any time. The Bible Institute has never 
taken a vacation since it was opened. Two Bible lectures daily 
on the average, and two music lessons to classes have been 
given regularly without a break. 

The report of 1898 states that 1538 students have been en- 
rolled in the men's department; and 766 in the women's. Dur- 
ing that one year there were at the Institute 341 men and 165 
women. This was a gain of 28 over the year 1897. The cost 
of an annual scholarship for the training of one student is but 
$150. Sometimes the non-resident students — those who 
come in to take some special course of lectures, for which no 
fee is charged, may number as high as 6000 within a single 
year. 

WHERE DO THESE STUDENTS GO? 

Where do they not go on their consecrated errands of Chris- 
tian service? Nearly two hundred are now engaged in city 
rescue and home mission work. Many are engaged in gospel 
work as evangelists or singers. Two hundred more have gone 
on with their studies and now are either pastors or pastors' 
assistants; \\J have gone out as foreign missionaries to Ja- 
pan and China, India and Africa and the islands of the sea; 



THE CHICAGO BIBLE INSTITUTE. 299 

while others are to be found engaged in every kind of Chris- 
tian work along educational and philanthropic or distinctively 
religious lines. 

It has been said that there is no genius but 

THE GENIUS OF HARD WORK. 

Mr. Moody, during his lifetime, by his own tireless energy, 
boundless zeal and continued insistence that success means 
hard, honest work continued throughout three hundred and 
sixty-five days in the year, gave to the world the most remark- 
able illustration of such success that has ever been seen since 
the days of St. Paul. Thousands of young men and women 
at Northfield, Mount Hermon and the Bible Institute have by 
him been inspired with a zeal and devotion which have multi- 
plied their own energies, some thirty, some sixty, some an 
hundred fold. 

Could the thousands of students who have enjoyed the ad- 
vantages of these great institutions have passed before him 
in grand review yonder at Northfield before his departure, 
without any semblance of boasting, Mr. Moody might truly 
have said as he waved them farewell, "Ye are our epistles, 
known and read of all men." "Ye are our joy and crown of 
rejoicing." The world needs no other memorial of, nor tes- 
timony to, the power of that life than is given by those lives 
which have been transformed, spiritualized and consecrated, 
by the gracious ministry in the gospel of one whose name the 
world will never let die, the divinely called and grace-com- 
missioned preacher of the gospel, Dwight L. Moody. 





Mr. Moody's Last Campaign. 

X the early summer of 1899 Mr. Moody was the guest 
of honor at a banquet of the Presbyterian Social Un- 
ion, of Philadelphia. Nearly three hundred of the 
most prominent ministers and laymen of the Presby- 
terian Church were gathered at the Witherspoon 
Building, Mr. John H. Converse, president of the Union, occu- 
pying the chair. On rising to deliver an address on "City 
Evangelization," Mr. Moody received the most cordial of 
greetings and spoke with all his old time vigor and enthusi- 
asm. He rapidly sketched the exceptional advantages a sum- 
mer campaign afforded for reaching the multitudes of non- 
church-goers and the duty of the church towards the mil- 
lion of people who would be obliged to stay in the city during 
the hot weather. His suggestions met with most hearty ap- 
proval, and later ? committee was appointed under whose aus- 
pices such work was organized and carried forward. A half 
dozen tents were pitched in different sections of the city, and 
prominent evangelists were called in to assist the pastors, 
with very gratifying results. Thousands of people thronged 
to the tents and upwards of nine hundred professed acceptance 
of Christ. 

In November, Mr. Moody, passing through the city on his 
way to Kansas City, tarried for an hour or two to confer with 
some of his friends. As eager as ever for the salvation of 
men, he remarked that he hoped that he might be used of G< >d 
to move some great city yet before he died. The evangelistic 
committee were even then considering plans looking towards 
his return, to begin with the new year another series of revi- 
val meetings. These plans were never to materialize. It was 
destined that Kansas City should have the sad pre-eminence 
of being the scene of Mr. Moody's last campaign. 

On Sunday, November 12th, 1899, Mr. Moody began his 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 301 

meetings in the great Convention Hall of Kansas City. These 
^meetings will always possess a profound interest, rounding 
out as they do the marvelous evangelistic labors of nearly for- 
ty years. The great evangelist seemed 

AT THE ZENITH OF HIS POWERS. 

Never did he have his audiences more completely in his hand. 
He swayed them, as he would, to laughter, or to tears. Hearts 
were set all aflame with enthusiasm, broken into deepest peni- 
tence, yet without any apparent excitement. Before him sat 
the great multitudes, silent and attentive. Upon their faces 
the deepest interest was depicted, and all remained to the end 
of his addresses as if fearing to lose a single word that fell 
from his lips. Without the natural gifts of the orator, still 
less using any of the arts of the rhetorician, he yet spoke with 
a power that was overwhelming. If it was not in the power 
of man that he spoke, it must have been what thousands all 
over the world have felt and confessed it to be — in the power 
of God, in the power of the Holy Ghost. 

At the Sabbath afternoon service, the opening of the week 
of religious revival, there were at the very least 13,000 people 
in the big hall. From the platform it seemed a veritable sea 
of faces. The crowds began arriving early, and at 2.30, the 
hour when the song service commenced, there were at least 
8,000 people present. All during the song service they kept 
pouring in to the sound of the mighty chorus. All was or- 
derly. But at three o'clock no more could enter, for the hall 
was literally filled in its seating capacity. The doors were 
closed and no more allowed to enter. There were probably 
2,000 people turned away from the afternoon services. Pro- 
bably never before in Convention Hall had there been such 
an orderly throng as there was that afternoon. It seemed as if 
the spirit of Moody pervaded all, as it in reality did. His watch- 
ful eyes saw everything, and all was done under his direction. 

For thirty minutes the song service continued, led by a 



302 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

chorus of over 500 singers from local choirs. Old familiar 
hymns were sung, and the vast audience joined in with eager 
and reverent delight. They sang "My Jesus, I Love Thee," 
"At the Cross," "Rescue the Perishing," and the like. The 
voices swelled in a mighty chorus wondrous to hear and the 
great volume of sound filled the great hall and echoed back 
again and again, and the chorus could be heard a block away. 

MUST BE QUIET. 

At just three o'clock Dr. Northrup made a short prayer, not 
over three minutes in length. As the sound of his voice died 
away Mr. Moody stepped to the front of the stage, and in a 
clear resonant voice asked all to be quiet. He was the cyno- 
sure of all eyes. "All can hear in this great hall," he- said, "if 
all will only remain quiet. Don't think I was ever in a better 
hall," he added, with a chuckle, "for its size. Just wait now 
till [ get them all still," he said to those about him. "Now, let 
ns have it very quiet," he said, raising his voice so that it 
swelled throughout the hall. "Then we will have a moment 
of silent prayer," and he raised his hand aloft. 

A silence as of God fell swiftly upon that multitude. First 
the whispering ceased, then the hands fell to the lap, the heads 
were bowed, the ushers stood stock still. The sounds on the 
street seemed to stop. The children appalled by the stillness 
became silent too. The hush became awe-full. Twelve 
thousand people in the hall and not an audible sound. The 
scene and the situation were profoundly solemn. Mr. Moody 
stood and listened and prayed in silence. The people also 
prayed. It was the most impressive space of time during all 
the meetings. At last, when the strain became so terrific that 
it seemed it could not last a moment longer without some 
heart bursting, Mr. Moody lifted his head and the spell was 
broken. "Bishop Hendrix will lead us in prayer," said Mr. 
Moody. "Breathe upon us, O Lord," began the bishop. 
Hardly had the last word of the prayer died upon his lips ere 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 303 

Mr. Moody had raised his voice aloft; he again asked that all 
be quiet. It was evident that he was resolved that silence 
should pervade all; and as he requested this the vast throng 
became as still as little children awed into silence by the si- 
lence and dim lights of some great cathedral. A laugh fell 
from Mr. Moody's lips; he was pleased. 

"All who have sheet hymns please hold them up high," he 
asked. At once 5,000 arms were raised high, holding the rust- 
ling sheets upon which the hymns are printed. It was an odd 
sight, something like a dark sea overcast with white caps. 

"Now shake them," he said. They all did, and the rustling 
was like a wind blowing through a forest. 

"Now please sit on them," he said, with a laugh; "I only 
wanted you to see what a noise they make if you keep handling 
them." Then he began his sermon. 

SOWING AND REAPING. 

"In after years, as you go by this building, I want you to 
remember this text which I am about to read to you. 
I pray that God will write it on every heart. It appeals 
to men and women of all sorts and conditions, to the 
priests and ministers and to the reporters. My text is this: 
'Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man 
soweth that shall he also reap.' 

"The most real thing in the world is sin." As Mr. Moody 
began the serious part of his sermon he was standing at the 
very edge of the stage to the left of the little organ. His hands 
were clasped behind his back and he stood very straight to 
keep his balance. His head seemed to incline to his breast, 
and his eyes rolled upwards and over the people. 

"The river of sin is dark and black," said Mr. Moody. His 
hands fell to his sides. "God is not mocked. Our neigh- 
bors, our friends, our enemies, yea, even our own hearts de- 
ceive us, but God does not deceive us. God is not mocked. 
What amazes me is that men find it so hard to get at this truth. 



304 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

" 'Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.' 
There's nothing in the whole Bible more solemn and true than 
that text. I want to make you believe that.- It's an eternal 
law in the natural and in the spiritual world, that you must 
reap what you sow. If you sow potatoes in a field you reap 
potatoes; if you sow onions you reap onions; if you sow sin in 
your life you reap sin, and you reap it far more abundantly 
than you sowed it. That law which the Bible states so pow- 
erfully is eternal and immutable. Every act has a result. Now, 
let us apply it to a few cases. No man on earth can afford to 
sell whiskey. You plant saloons and you'll get a harvest of 
drunkards. Let me tell you that every man who sells liquor 
has a drunken son or a drunken brother or a drunken relative. 
Where are the sons of liquor dealers? To whom are their 
daughters married? Look around and see if you can find a 
man who has been in that business who has not a skeleton in 
his family. 

"I threw that challenge down once, and a man said to me 
the next day: T wasn't at your meeting last night, but I un- 
derstand you made the astounding statement that no man had 
been in the liquor business twenty years who hadn't the curse 
in his own family.' 

" 'Yes,' I said, T did.' 

" Tt isn't true,' he said, 'and I want you to take it back. My 
father was a rumseller and I am a rumseller, and the curse has 
never come into my father's family or mine.' 

"I said, 'What! two generations selling this infernal stuff, 
and the curse has never come in to the family! I will inves- 
tigate it.' 

"There were two prominent citizens of the town in the room 
on whose faces I noticed a peculiar expression as the man 
was talking. After he left, one of them said, 

" 'Do you know, Mr. Moody, that man's own brother was a 
drunkard and committed suicide a few weeks ago, and left a 
widow with seven children? They are under his roof now.' 



o 





Rev. C. 1. Scofield. 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 305 

"Your sons will be drunkards. I challenge any man who 
has been in the saloon business twenty years to prove to me 
that he hasn't a family skeleton in his closet. 

"If you are in that accursed business, take your sign down, 
knock in the heads of your whiskey barrels and let the vile 
stuff into the sewers. You say you'll starve? Well, I would 
like to see a few of such martyrs. I never found one yet. I 
would attend his funeral. I would give something toward a 
monument for him. 

"The man who rents his building for a saloon is just as 
bad as the saloon keeper." 

"Amen," said a muffled voice on the stage. 

"What's that?" asked Mr. Moody, sharply. 

"He said 'Amen,' " a dozen eager voices answered. 

"Oh," said Mr. Moody, "I said and I repeat that the saloon 
is a curse, and the man who rents his building to a saloon 
keeper is as bad as the man who profits by selling the whiskey. 
Don't let any man tell me that liquor is not a withering curse." 

Another pause, and Mr. Moody began a new subject. "If 
any man in this audience to-night is leading an impure life 
his harvest will be dark and bitter. If you rent your house 
for impure purposes you will live to see the curse come into 
your own family. Every man who leads an impure life ought 
to tremble." 

Now he lifted both hands at once above his head and began 
to quake all over his big body. "Oh, these vile lepers that 
break up our families! Oh, these hideous creatures! What 
can we do with them? How shall we escape them? Think of 
it, think of it! Think of our women whom they prey upon! 
The most infernal thing in America is the way women are 
treated when they have been ruined. And the man. The man 
walks the street with his head held high, while she whose soul 
he has blackened prowls about in dark places in her sin and 
her shame. Do you tell me" — his eyes were fierce and his 
head was bristling — "do you tell me that man will escape pun- 
20 



306 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

ishment? No! No! Not on the reaping clay! He will reap 
the whirlwind of God's wrath and man's scorn." 

THERE IS RETRIBUTION. 

He ended his afternoon sermon with a characteristic Moody 
story. It was the simplest sort of a story, told in the very sim- 
plest way. It was a children's story. It was about a good 
child and a bad father, and if told in print it would seem very 
commonplace. But Mr. Moody glorified and inspired it with 
such a power that he seemed transfigured by it. A change 
came over his face as the pathetic nature of the story appealed 
to him. His hands hung helpless to his side and the pink skin 
of his face began to grow livid. His veins swelled, his 
cheeks puffed out, red rims formed about his eyelids. He 
moved restlessly about. He was so direct, so wonderfully in 
earnest. He was so simple and so truthful. At last he could 
no longer control himself. His breath was coming in gasps, 
and now he wept, shaking the tears out of his eyes with a toss 
of his head and speaking right on. His bearded, kindly face 
wore an expression of melting pity and love. It was impossi- 
ble to resist his influence. There were five hundred handker- 
chiefs busy in the hall. 

"My friends, isn't it awfully sad? Isn't it terrible? Isn't it 
pitiful that it isn't ourselves alone we must make suffer when 
we sin, but those whom we love must suffer with us?" 

THE SERMON AT NIGHT. 

Mr. Moody had only half finished his sermon in the after- 
noon. He continued it in the evening. He stood on the plat- 
form and looked out over the arena floor, where white faees 
strained to hear and see him. In his forty years of preaching 
he has spoken to many vast audiences, but this one seemed to 
amaze him as he looked it over calmly and thought full)'. 

"Look at this audience." he began. There were 1.500 out 
side the doors, but he did not know that. "Look at the im- 
mensity of these listeners. See the balconies, dense, black 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 307 

and white with people." Here his voice swelled. "And every- 
one of you is sowing his seed. What are you sowing?" He 
paused and knitted his fingers. "Hadn't you better be care- 
ful? I'm not a prophet, but I can tell you what harvest you 
will have if you tell me what you are sowing. If this country 
turns its Sabbaths into holidays this country is going down. 
Pretty soon you will have to work seven days in the week, in- 
stead of six, if you continue to desecrate the Sabbath. In 
Paris the workingman gets $1.25 a day and he works the 
whole week round. In London the workingman gets higher 
wages and he doesn't work on Sunday. If you give up the 
Sabbath the great corporations will soon be grinding you 
down. They'll be making you work seven days a week and 
you won't have any rest days. 

"England stood up for the Sabbath and France did not, and 
where is France to-day? Down, down, down! 

"There are some men who are willing to take all the bene- 
fits of Christianity and then curse it. But with all its imperfec- 
tions it's the best thing in the world we have to-day. Where 
would we be if it were not for Christianity? 

"What are you young men sowing? How do you treat 
your mothers? I've utter contempt for the young man who 
is disrespectful to his mother. What do your mothers do for 
you and what do you do for them? Do you talk disparaging- 
ly of them? Why, young man, you know if you were taken 
sick away from home and your mother was a thousand miles 
away she would take the first train and come to you." He 
was hoarse with emotion. He stamped the floor. "Yes, and 
she'd watch over you day and night and she'd never sleep 
while you needed her care and she would pluck that disease 
from your breast and put it in her own, and she'd die for you. 
I have two boys and I've tried to raise them right. If one of 
them should go wrong it would pretty nigh kill me. I've 
tried to raise them right, God knows, and if ever I made a 
mistake with them it was my head and not my heart that erred. 



308 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

And I love them as myself and more than myself, and I'd die 
for them. But I'm not any different from the average parent, 
for they all love their children as I love my boys. I heard of 
a man who put a knife in his mother's heart and killed her in 
a second. And I said he was a prince compared with the men 
I have seen who have come home drunk every night and have 
taken five years to break their mothers' hearts — to kill them 
slowlv, inch by inch, night by night. What will be their reap- 
ing?" 

STERN WORDS OF WARNING. 

"Would to God," he said, "that I could get all of you to take 
a solemn oath to-night never to go into a whiskey shop again! 
What a triumph that would be! Why, it would be the grand- 
est thing this city ever saw. You have a mighty city here, 
young and powerful, but if this city should resolve never again 
to touch whiskey it would become an imperial place, world re- 
nowned and all powerful." 

So the sermon went on with broken words and tears, with 
tender appeals and warnings. He ended as usual with a story 
and then he asked for a prayer. The prayer ended, the choir 
sang, and under a most heavy and solemn sense of responsibil- 
ity the vast audience left the hall. 

A WORD TO THE PREACHERS. 

At the Monday afternoon meeting, Moody preached on 
"The Bible and How to Study It." He has proved to his sat- 
isfaction that the Bible is not going out of use. "More Bibles 
have been printed and sold in the last five years than were 
read and sold in the first 1800 years. The Bible is read more 
now than ever before. It is the study of the Bible that we 
need. The men who don't study If are the ones who criti- 
cize it. 

"When your hair is as gray as mine and friend after friend 
has slipped away from you into the grave," said Mr. Moody, 
holding his Bible high above his head, "I say you will want to 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 309 

believe in this old book. You will want to believe in the res- 
urrection." He put the book back. on the organ and stood 
silent for a moment, "I would doubt the whole of it rather than 
a part of it. Let's hold on to it all. Let's not let any part of 
it go. It's too precious. But let's keep it all and get its 
blessings. I knew a preacher who saw a sailor and asked him 
if he knew the philosophy of the wind. 'No,' answered the 
sailor, 'but when she blows I know how to put up my sails.' " 

A pause, and then Mr. Moody said in a hoarse, solemn 
whisper, "My friends, let's hoist the sails and get the bless- 
ings." Mr. Moody leaned on the organ and asked the minis- 
ters: "Will you ministers allow me to say a word to you?" 

"Yes, yes, say what you want," they answered. 

"Well, I'm not a prophet, but I have a guess to make that I 
think will prove a true prophecy. You hear so much nowa- 
days about the preacher of the twentieth century. Do you 
know what sort of man he will be? He will be the sort of 
preacher who opens his Bible and preaches out of that. Oh, 
I'm sick and tired of this essay preaching! I'm nauseated with 
this 'silver tongued orator' preaching! I like to hear preach- 
ers and not windmills." 

Mr. Moody's afternoon meetings were devoted to Christian 
people. In the evening the gospel was preached to win the 
unconverted. 

MONDAY EVENING. 

The threatening weather on Monday evening reduced the 
audience to nearly one-half what it was on Sunday night, but 
the crowd drew nearer to him and watched Mr. Moody with 
deeper interest and attention. It was thundering without 
when he stepped forward and began his sermon by asking: 

"Do you believe Jesus Christ taught the truth while on 
earth? I wish everyone who believes that would hold up his 
hand. It seemed nearly every hand went up in the hall. Then 
I ask you this important question, Have you been born again? 
You may answer it, each to himself. 



3io DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"I have no sympathy with the idea that people are so natur- 
ally good they don't need to be born again. I've heard a good 
deal about these naturally good people. Did you ever know 
a man who never did wrong? Do any of you wives possess 
husbands that never did wrong? If you do possess them I 
pity you — for — I — know — him. 

"You hear a great deal about that wicked elder brother of 
the Bible. He has left a good many grandchildren. Tell one 
of these elder brothers about the good things of this world and 
lie will scoff. Tell him of the sinners and he will sneer. Tell 
him of the poor fallen women who have turned at last to God 
and he will jeer at them. God pity the man who cannot have 
pity on such poor wanderers returned. 

"You are all afraid of what your hearts contain. You know 
it is not good. If someone should advertise that he could 
photograph with some sort of an X-ray machine all that your 
hearts contain, do you think you would come around? No. 
A team of horses couldn't drag you to the machine. Dear 
friends, remember that the heart is deceitful and desperately 
wicked. 

SATAN AS A CHURCH-GOER. 

"I believe that the church is nearer to God than any human 
institution. But if we put the church in place of God it can- 
not save you. A woman said to me: 'I'm all right.' 'Are 
you?' said I. 'And why are you all right?' 'Because I go to 
church.' 'So does Satan,' said I. 

"Church can't save you any more than good resolutions can 
save you. If all the good resolutions men have taken were 
written on parchment it would take four mules to haul them 
along - . 

"When I was converted I took blood out of my veins and 
I wrote out some good resolutions. I kept those resolutions 
about as long as it took to draw the blood. 

"I have been given many blessings, but there is one that 
towers above all others like a monument. It was given me on 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 311 

the night I was born again. When we are born again we get a 
divine nature. Just as we get the nature of our parents when 
we are born of them, so we get the nature of God when we 
are born of Him. These things that I say the natural man 
cannot fully understand, but the man of God understands 
them. He goes beyond them and reaches out, far out." 

Mr. Moody reached out with both hands and seemed to 
move closer to his hearers. 

"Did you ever see a young man that had a little heaven in 
his own home, a dear mother and sisters? And he leaves 
home and gets into bad company and goes down, down, 
down." 

Mr. Moody almost sank on his knees, his palms turned to- 
ward the platform. "He cleans spittoons in a whiskey shop. 
A friend finds him there and tells him his mother wants him. 
But he won't go. He says he must have his whiskey. He 
don't want to go! He won't go, he says." 

Mr. Moody fairly screamed the words. "He-must-have- 
his-whiskey!" A pause. "But God, if He will, can take that 
drunkard up, up, up" (Mr. Moody held both hands aloft) 
"above the cherubim" (he reached higher), "above the sera- 
phim, to His own white throne." 

A number of electric globes that had been dark suddenly 
glowed with light. Mr. Moody, ever artful, took advantage 
of the illustration. "They are turning on the lights. I wish 
God would turn on His lights in your hearts." 

The effect of Mr. Moody's sermon and passionate appeal 
was seen in the throng that passed out of Convention Hall and 
crossed the street into the Second Presbyterian Church for 
the after meeting. The church was lighted as if for a prayer 
meeting and the lower seats were quickly filled. It was after 
nine o'clock. Mr. Moody called them together from the hall 
that he might "get a little closer" to them. They were still 
wrestling with the effects of his sermon to them at the hall, and 
were half willing, half unwilling, to confess to the power of 



312 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

his influence. The church was silent and solemn. The meet- 
ing was "for those who are not Christians." There were a 
good many who were not Christians. 

"You never can come to Christ with as few sins in your 
souls as you can come to-night," said Mr. Moody. He waited 
to let the words sink. "Don't put it off," he asked. "If you 
could go six months without sinning you would still have the 
sin of procrastination on your souls. Put the question to 
yourself to-night. Answer it. Have you the Son of God with 
you to-night? Have you the spirit, the humble, joyful spirit?" 

The evangelist had lowered his voice after his powerful ser- 
mon in the hall. A whisper could have been heard in the 
church, it seemed so small, the walls so close together. 

Again Mr. Moody asked, "Will some one say, T will trust 
in the Lord to-night, and not be afraid?' Will some one say 
simply, T will?' The door hangs on one hinge. Will you 
push open the door and let Christ in? Will you? Will you?" 

A VOICE SAID, "I WILL." 

He stopped and waited. The church was like a tomb, for 
no one would reply. At last a voice far back said, "I will." 
Mr. Moody breathed hard in his relief. "I will," said anoth- 
er. The evangelist smiled. "I will try," said another. 
"What's that?" asked Mr. Moody. "I will try," said the man. 

"Now listen, my friend," said Mr. Moody, tapping his Bi- 
ble. "It is better to say T will' than T will try.' If you 'will' 
you purpose to succeed, if you 'will try' you may make ex- 
cuses for your failure." 

"I will," said the man. 

Other voices throughout the church answered, "I will." 
With a few words of tender prayer for these anxious hearts, 
Mr. Moody closed this service and with heart and faith great- 
ly strengthened returned to his hotel. 

TUESDAY EVENING. 
The Mission of the Son of Man. On Tuesday night Mr. 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 313 

Moody preached from the text, "For the Son of Man is come 
to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. 

Upon this great theme he spoke in part as follows: 

"Some of you believe that God never sought you. But 
there is not a man or woman or even a child that God has not 
sought for. He is always seeking you, and so many of you 
He seeks in vain. Can you honestly say God has not sought 
you? Do you ever lie awake at night, unable to sleep, and 
hear the still, small voice of your conscience speaking to you? 
Have you ever stood at the grave of one you have loved in life 
while you felt your heart in dumb agony appeal to God? And 
do you say God has not been seeking you? It is your fault 
that He nas not found you. It is because you have barred the 
door of your heart. 

"You men say you cannot pray. I think if you were blind, 
like the man in the Bible, and could get sight by praying you 
could pray mighty easily." 

Mr. Moody told the story of the rich man who climbed the 
tree to see Christ pass by. "It isn't often," he said, with quaint 
humor, "that a rich man climbs a tree to see a street preacher 
go by. 

"You think, many of you, that God is indifferent to you, has 
forgotten that you live. He knows your name, che street you 
live in and the number of your house. 

"A strange thing about true Christians is that they are al- 
ways happy men. Did you ever hear of Christian people 
who received Christ sadly? I ask you ministers sitting below 
me here — did you ever see a man confess Christ with a sad 
face?" 

"No," said the ministers in a chorus. "He is always glad." 

"Is there a sinner in this hall to-night?" asked Mr. Moody, 
straightening his figure. "Let him remember that Christ left 
His heavenly home and His Father to come down to you, to 
put His arm under you, to lift you up. 

"Do you know why so few persons are saved? It's because 



314 DW1GHT L. MOODY. 

you can induce so few to believe they are lost. What is it to 
be lost? It's to be out of God's way. So many of you stay 
out of God's way, but you won't believe you are lost. It's 
such a hard tiling to find men who are lost. 

FEW WILL ADMIT GUILT. 

"If we could only get the confession of a man that he is lost, 
it wouldn't be long before he would be saved. If a man ain't 
lost what does he need of a Savior? But oh, how refreshing 
it is to find one who will admit that he is lost! If you will ad- 
mit that you are a sinner, I can tell you there's One mighty to 
save — One who came to save sinners. 

"I was invited one day, some years ago, to visit and preach 
in the Tombs prison, New York. I had supposed that I 
should address the prisoners face to face, as I used to talk to 
the prisoners in the chapels in most of our jails. But when I 
got there, I found I had to stand on a little iron railing run- 
ning from one tier of cells to another. There was a tier above 
and one below, and one on the same level with me. There I 
talked to a great, long, narrow passageway — to gates, to bars, 
and to brick walls. It was pretty hard preaching. I had 
never attempted to preach in that way before. I did not 
know when I got through w 7 ith it, how they had received me; 
and so I thought I would go arjd see them. I went to the 
first cell-door and looked in. I found the men playing euchre. 
I suppose they had been playing all the time that I was 
preaching, and took no interest in the sermon. I looked into 
the window, and said, 'How is it with you here?' 'O chap- 
lain, we do not want you to have a bad idea of us.' I said to 
myself, 'There is no one here to be saved, for there is no one 
lost.' And I got away as quick as I could. 

I went to another cell. There were three or four men in 
there; and I said, 'How is it with you here?' 'Well, stranger, 
we will tell you. We got into bad company, and the men 
that did the deed got clear and we got caught.' I said to my- 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 315 

self, 'There is no one here for Christ to save, for there is no 
one lost.' And I went along to the next cell; and then I said, 
'Well, my friends, how is it with you?' One of them said, 'A 
false witness went to court and swore a lie upon me.' He 
was perfectly innocent and ought not to be there. I went on 
to the next cell, looked in, and said, 'Well, my friends, how is 
it with you?' They were innocent, thank God! But the man 
that did the deed looked very much like them. The people 
thought they were the men and they got caught. They were 
perfectly innocent. They were not the men. I went along 
to the next cell. But no sooner did I ask the same question 
than they said they had not had their trial. They were go- 
ing to have it that week, and they would be out on next Sun- 
day. And so I went on. I never found so many innocent 
men. They were all innocent. I found a great many inno- 
cent men under lock and key, and they were all trying to jus- 
tify themselves. There was no one guilty but the constables, 
the justices, or magistrates. They were the guilty ones. 

"I got discouraged. I thought I would give it up; but I 
kept on, and I found one man in a cell alone. He had his 
elbows on his knees, and had his head buried in his hands. As 
I looked in, I could see the streams of tears running down 
upon his cheeks. They were the first tears I had seen. It 
did me good to look at them. I said, 'My friend, how is it 
with you here?' He looked up. It was a look of remorse 
and despair. He said, 'O, sir, my siris are more than I can 
bear.' 'Thank God for that!' said I. 'Thank God for. that? 
Ain't you the man that's been preaching to us?' 'Yes, sir.' 
'And yet I thought you said you was a friend to the prisoner; 
and you are glad that my sins are more than I can bear?' 
'Yes.' 'Yes? Then you are a queer kind of friend. How 
is it that you are glad my sins are more than I can bear?' T 
am glad that they are more than you can bear. For if they 
are more than you can bear, you can cast them on the Lord 
Jesus.' 'He will not bear my sins. Why, I am the worst 



316 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

man living today.' And he began enumerating his sins, and 
what a load it was for him to bear. 

It was refreshing to stand there and hear him tell me. It 
was the Lord Jesus that had got into that cell and into that 
man's heart, and I told him so; then I told him to pray to God 
to forgive him and to take away his sin. He thought God 
would never forgive such a sinner as he was. I told him: 'You 
can get all those sins, multiplied by ten thousand, forgiven; 
because you have committed probably ten thousand more 
sins than you have thought of. You can sum them all up, 
and write underneath, 'The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, 
cleanseth from all sin.' And I stood there and preached the 
gospel to that thirsty soul. He seemed to drink it in. I said, 
'Let us get down here and pray.' And we did, he inside 'and I 
outside. And after I got through prayer I said, 'My friend, 
now you pray.' T pray! It would be blasphemy for me to 
pray — for a wretch like me to call upon God. I said to him, 
'.Call upon God. Ask for mercy. That's what you want. 
Ask him to have mercy upon you.' The poor wretch could 
not lift his eyes towards heaven. He knelt down on the 
pavement, and all he could say was, 'God be merciful to me, a 
vile wretch!' After his prayer I put my hand through the 
window in the door. He got hold of it and shook it, and a 
hot tear fell on my hand. That tear seemed to burn into my 
very soul. I said: T am going to the hotel between nine and 
twelve o'clock. I want you to join in prayer, and make up 
your mind that you will not sleep to-night till you know.' 

That night I got much interested in prayer for the man. 
My heart was so overborne that I could not go back to Chi- 
cago without going down to the prison to sec him. I went 
down, and I got the governor of the Tombs to let me in, and 
T went to his cell; and when T got there and saw him the re- 
morse and despair had all disappeared. It was all gone. His 
face was lit up with a heavenly glow. He seized my hand, and 
tears of joy began to flow. He pressed my hand and shook 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 317 

it,and said: 'I believe I am the happiest man in the whole city of 
New York. I thought wljen they brought me to this prison 
I should never go out again. I thought I never could walk 
down Broadway again. I thought I never could see my godly 
mother again. Now I thank God that they brought me; for 
if they had not I would never have known Christ.' He said, 
when he prayed the Tord Jesus heard his prayer. I asked 
him what time of the night he thought it was; and he said 
he thought it was about midnight that the Lord Jesus came 
into that cell and saved his soul. My dear friend, can you 
tell me why it was that God came into that prison, and passed 
by cell after cell, and set that one captive free? It was because 
he took his place as a poor lost sinner, and asked for mercy. 
The moment sinners do that and cry for mercy, they will 
get it." 

"You don't change human nature a bit by locking it behind 
the bars. Those men wouldn't admit they were guilty and 
you won't admit you are lost." 

Here are a few of Mr. Moody's remarks taken from his 
stories: 

"I'm glad to find a man whose sins are more than he can 
bear. For he will then cast them on Him who will bear them 
for him." 

"If a thing touches my heart I am sure it must touch the 
heart of God, for He is infinitely more tender than I." 

"If any of you feel like making a prayer make it while you 
have the feeling. Make it now. For it is now that He will 
listen to it with the most pity for your state." 

There was a story to tell before the sermon ended. It was 
about the rich father and the disinherited son, who, dying, 
asked his parent for forgiveness. Mr. Moody's face grew 
red and his eyes swam in tears as he described the father when 
he heard his son's plea for forgiveness: "Why, I'd have for- 
given him long ago if I had known he wanted forgiveness." 

There was a pause, Mr. Moody stretched both arms out, 



3i8 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"Sinner," he called, "that's what Christ says to you and to me. 
'I'd forgiven you long ago, my child, if you had wanted for- 
giveness.' " 

The evangelist shook his tears from his face and moved 
about restlessly in his emotion. "Thank God for the gospel 
that will reach down to the darkest pits of hell to lift up man. 
Thank God for it." 

He was silent again, and then he ended his sermon with 
these words: "Let me be silent. The human heart is too hard 
for the human voice to penetrate it. Son of God, do Thou 
knock at the door of every heart." 

At the close of the sermon another meeting was held for in- 
quirers, with many responses when Mr. Moody called for an 
open profession of the acceptance of Christ. 

WEDNESDAY EVENING. 

For the second time since the meetings began, Conven- 
tion Hall was overflowed on Wednesday evening, and the ush- 
ers were obliged to close the doors on hundreds who wished 
to hear the great evangelist. Every seat was taken and the 
standing space in the rear was filled with people. The big 
American flag at the south end of the hall was let down like 
a curtain, and no one was allowed, after the sermon began, to 
pass in or out of the building. Twenty thousand persons heard 
Mr. Moody preach that day, eight thousand in the afternoon, 
and twelve thousand in the evening. A religious spirit held 
the great crowds and made them silent and attentive. At 
times during a pause in the evening sermon the emotion of the 
twelve thousand seemed to choke it, and a heavy breathing 
could be heard. Men sat with heads uplifted and looked at 
the evangelist, or they hung their heads and buried their 
faces in their hands. 

Mr. Moody seemed to come closer to his immense audience 
than at any time since the meetings began. He controlled his 
hearers, Times were when the twelve thousand seemed to 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 319 

be wiping their eyes at once; times were when they laughed 
at once. To control such a crowd and make it docile, to 
make it follow and obey, that is indeed a triumph. 

"I think I got pretty close to you last night," said Mr. 
Moody. "I've noticed when a hush comes over an audience 
and all seem to be listening, that God is moving it. I don't 
believe that God would have brought this vast assembly to- 
gether to-night unless he wished to help it. I believe He 
moved your hearts a little last night." 

With this brief introduction Mr. Moody began his sermon, 
but he looked exhausted. His face was flushed and sweat- 
ing, but the inspiration of his great audience helped to sus- 
tain him during his masterly effort: 

"I want to turn your attention to-night to a passage of 
scripture found in Psalm 85:5, which reads as follows: 'I will 
hear what God, the Lord, will speak, for He will speak peace 
unto His people, and let them not turn against Him.' Now 
if every man and woman will keep his or her ears open, and 
let themselves be spoken to, I believe God's voice will be 
heard by every one in this vast crowd. God is moving in this 
body of people, and it needs but a listening spirit to hear Him 
and be taught by Him the ways of eternal life. Listen for His 
still, small voice, as the great crowd sits quiet and submissive 
beneath the weight of His presence. To-night 1 am going to 
give you three texts, which I am going to bring home to you 
all. Here they are. They are found in the first chapter of 
John's gospel. 

"The first is a question, the second an exhortation, and the 
third a command. 'What seek ye?' Jesus asked that of two 
men. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon, and John 
the Baptist stood on the bank of the Jordan river, with his 
disciples grouped about him. Only that day had he baptized 
Christ in the river, and had pointed Him out to his dis- 
ciples, saying, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the 
sins of the world/ and this day Andrew and James had fol- 



320 DWIGIIT L. MOODY. 

lowed Christ as he left the crowd to go to His home. And 
when He saw them He said, 'What seek ye?' Where dwellest 
Thou?' They learned and never left Him. They followed 
Him through all His years of teaching, to Gethsemane, into 
the wilderness, to the Mount of Transfiguration; one of them 
went to his death in a horrible manner for Him, and the other 
outlived all the others of the twelve. These two men got 
what others did not get that day, for some ceased from follow- 
ing Him, because they would not take up this cross. Do you 
think Christ was willing to be more to John and Andrew that 
day, or to Peter, than He was to any others of the men who 
came to Him, and went away? No, indeed, He was not. 
Christ never disappoints any one. Did you ever hear of 
Christ disappointing any one or going back on any one? Has 
he failed you, when you wanted Him? 

''He never goes back on a friend. I have the first man or 
woman to find whom Christ ever failed. He is what you want 
Him to be, and all you want to make of Him. He can be all 
your life if you want Him to be. Some follow Him for what 
they can get out of it; some for what signs they can see. T'd 
just like to see Him cast out a devil,' said some, 'just to see 
the devil run.' T just wish I could see a blind man cured/ 
said another. T never did see anything like that. It must 
be fine.' But some followed Christ because of what they could 
get. Do you remember how, one day, as the great crowd 
stood about Him, He accused them of seeking the 'loaves and 
fishes'? And how many must have come out the nex' day 
just to see the sight of the strange bread and fish that He had 
created. 'Say,' said one, T hear that yesterday this fellow 
made bread out here. Did you see any of it?' 'Yes.' 'Did 
you taste any of it?' 'Yes.' 'How did it taste?' 'Best I ever 
tasted in my life.' T would like to taste bread that never had 
come from a wheat field, or fish that never had been in the 
water. I wonder if it is like the manna our fathers ate in the 
wilderness?' They did not come for His teachings. Some 



n 




MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 321 

wanted political place in the kingdom they thought He would 
establish on the earth, and when, they learned the kingdom 
would be a spiritual kingdom, they left disappointed. Those 
things were too far beyond them. 

"Others went because the crowd went. Alone they would 
never have taken a single step. They were cowards. But 
whatever way the crowds went, they followed. When the mul- 
titude spread roses in His path, and palm leaves and shouted 
Hosannah! they shouted too, and when the same crowd some 
days later, cried out to crucify Him, these same people cried 
out to crucify! crucify! But thank God, there were some few 
in the great crowds who followed Him for profit, or curiosity 
or weak mindness, who followed Him for His own sake. And 
in the great crowd here to-night there are some who seek 
Him honestly for His own sake. And I am sure if I could 
canvass this vast crowd I could find just as many peculiar 
reasons why you come out here to-night. 'What seek ye?' 
You man up there in the gallery, what seek you? If I could 
but a.'tk your conscience why you came here there would be 
some strange replies given. Tell me, conscience, what 
brought this man here to-night? 

"What seek you? What seek you? Are you one of the 
few ivho came to seek Christ or one of the many who follow 
for the loaves and fishes? Come, what seek you? One man 
up fhere in the gallery says, I believe, T didn't come here to 
see you, anyway, and I don't care if you know it. I'd get out 
novr if I could.' Well, I'm glad you're here, anyway, even if 
you didn't come to see me. Another man down there came 
to fee the crowd. Some one told him it was a great sight to 
see so many people together, and now he has seen the crowd 
he is ready to go home. Well, I'm glad you're here. At one of 
my meetings in Philadelphia a man came two hours early so 
he could see 3,000 empty chairs on one floor. Some one told 
him it was a great sight, so he walked in when the doors were 
opened, and ran to the front so he could see the 3,000 empty 
21 



322 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

seats. And he saw them. Then he thought he would see the 
people who wanted to be saved, and sat down on the front 
row. That man was saved that night. One down in front 
here came to please his wife. She has been after him ever 
since I came to the city and just to get rid of her everlasting 
nagging, came, and now he is not coming any more. Well, 
I'm glad you're here. You ought to be glad your wife loves 
you enough to urge you to come. Another man over there 
came just to say he had heard Moody once, 'so I could tell 
my friends.' 

"Another came, because he had no place else to go. I'm 
glad you're all here, even if you didn't have any better motives 
to bring you here. But there are some who came, saying 
as the Greeks said to Philip, 'Sir, we would see Jesus.' ■ 

"Let me tell you something about seeking Jesus. In Isa- 
iah 55:6 it reads 'Seek ye the Lord while He may be found/ 
Now he did not say anything about seeking pleasure or gain, 
or wealth or anything else, but he said, 'Seek the Lord while 
He may be found.' If you want God you can find Him. I 
went down to a man once in a meeting who was standing with 
his hands in-his pockets and looking on. I said, 'My friend, 
are you a Christian?' 'Well,' he said, T — I believe not,' and 
swung his foot back and forth. 'Do you want to be?' 'Well,' 
and the foot swung back and forth again, T don't have no ob- 
jections.' (Laughter.) A man must be in earnest to find 
Christ. If you seek Him you will find Him, but you won't 
find Him unless you do seek Him. 

"Do you ministers believe Jesus can be found here to- 
night?" 

The ministers on the stage below Mr. Moody answered in 
chorus, "Yes, sir; we do." 

"Does this choir around me believe Jesus can be found 
here to-night?" 

"Yes, sir," answered the choir. 

"Then find Him!" thundered Mr. Moody. "Oh, find Him 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 323 

now and let the world go by you. The time is coming when 
one promise of the Bible will outweigh all the world. Is there 
a man here who cannot pray for his salvation? Can't you 
even say, 'God be merciful to me, a sinner?' Wouldn't it be 
a grand thing if everyone in this hall to-night, wouldn't it be 
magnificent if all this multitude" — and Mr. Moody looked 
from gallery to gallery and out across the far-reaching row of 
faces in the arena, "if all this multitude would raise its voice 
and cry /Lord, help me!' " 

He stopped and considered what a triumph that would be. 
He thought it over, all alone, standing there in sight of them 
all. Then he shook his gray head. "I've cried those words 
so many times myself, 'Lord help me; Lord help me, help me 
and show me how to preach.' " 

He changed his attitude and expression. Holding out both 
arms he cried, "All that are here who want God's help say 
aloud, 'Lord help me.' " 

He waited, expectant. A feeble few, half ashamed, echoed 
the words, "Lord help me." 

"Again!" commanded the evangelist. 

The second reply was much more powerful than the first. 
"Lord — help — me" answered several hundreds of voices. 
A MIGHTY CHORUS ANSWERED. 

Mr. Moody dropped his arms. 

"Do you believe He heard you?" 

"Yes," replied those who had repeated his words. 

"He is here to-night," said Mr. Moody, solemnly. "He is 
listening to you. Oh, what a sight! All these people cry- 
ing on the Lord for help! Let us all say, 'Lord, remember 
me.'" 

A mighty chorus echoed back: "Lord — remember — me." 

"Do you believe He will do it?" 

"Yes," answered the voices. 

It seemed as if the hall vibrated to the steel trusses and the 
wooden railings with that answer, it was so strong. 



324 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Mr. Moody lifted his head and closed his eyes. "Oh, let the 
dew descend now. Let Thy grace descend now on these peo- 
ple, Lord," he ejaculated. "Man, woman, bow your heads 
now. Say to yourselves, 'Lamb of God, take my sins,' and 
He will take them." 

Silence held the 12,000. Then Mr. Moody resumed his 
preaching. 

"I never saw the man who put Christ first in his life that 
hasn't succeeded. That sort of man always comes right. So 
many say, 'Let me get established in business first and I'll 
seek the Lord afterwards.' God says 'No! Seek my kingdom 
first.' Make the kingdom of God your first thought. Oh, 
my friends, make it first. It is the safest thing to acquire. It 
is the best thing. It is the one thing worth having." 

He was laboring hard for breath and his eyes ran over with 
tears. "It is the one divine thing on earth to acquire. Oh, 
seek it, my friends!" 

The audience was weeping, too. Handkerchiefs were out 
all over the hall. Mr. Moody told how he had once taken a 
pardon to a woman in prison. He described her emotion 
when he anounced to the crowd of prisoners that she would 
be freed. The story finished, he raised his voice to a higher 
key, and said: 

"Friends, supposing I should come to you to-night and tell 
you that before I came from my hotel a heavenly messenger 
came down to me and gave me a pardon from God for one of 
you. Would you be eager to know what one of you was par- 
doned? Yet, I have a pardon, not for one of you, but for all 
the sinners in this house. Will you take it? Oh, take it from 
me now! Oh, seek God now. He is here among you. He 
is not far away." 

WEAKENED BY OVERWORK. 

Mr. Moody appeared at times during the sermon hardly 
able to support himself. Now he almost toppled over from 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 325 

weakness and now he held on to the organ to support himself. 

"Let all who desire Christ's forgiveness for their sins go 
across the street to the church and fall on their knees and ask 
their Lord's forgiveness." With this abrupt ending, Mr. 
Moody sank back in his seat. 

Dr. Neel conducted the after service on account of the 
fact that Mr. Moody was completely exhausted and obliged to 
seek his room and rest. The interest in the meetings contin- 
ued unabated, and there was quite a large number of people 
who sought assistance and aid in public prayer and testimony, 
who never before had done it. The church was filled and peo- 
ple were standing all about the sides of the room, while the 
ministers and Christian workers were busily at work among 
the people, leading them to accept the salvation of Christ. In 
these overflow meetings was shown the result of Mr. Moody's 
preaching, as every service showed an increased number of 
men and women seeking the light. 

THURSDAY EVENING. 

The fateful evening had arrived, the last sermon was about 
to be delivered, the foolish excuses that men make for not 
becoming Christians, were once more to be brushed aside, 
and the last appeal in Mr. Moody's last campaign was to thrill 
many hearts and yet of all that this hour was to bring to that 
great throng there was not the slightest premonition. 

Mr. Moody seemed to have recovered from his exhaustion 
though naturally wearied by his exacting labors. 

After the opening hymn, "Abide With Me," Mr. Moody 
took charge of the meeting and announced his text as found in 
14th chapter of Luke: 

"I am going to talk about the parable of the marriage sup- 
per, and the people who were asked to it," he began. 

Mr. Moody read the parable, how that three men had been 
asked to attend a wedding supper given by the king, and in- 
stead of accepting it at once and feeling glad for the honor the 



326 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

king- bestowed upon them, excused themselves, one on the 
ground that he had bought some land, and must tend it, an- 
other that he had bought a yoke of oxen and must try them, 
and the other that he had married a wife and could not come. 
Then he continued: 

"Those people were invited to attend a feast, not an execu- 
tion, not a hospital, nor a surgical operation, but a feast, a 
royal feast. We common people, where there is no royalty, 
seldom get an invitation to attend a royal feast. But if we 
should, do you think we would refuse it as those men did? 
No, indeed. 

"Those three men began to make excuses. They didn't 
have any decent excuse, so they made up one. They have been 
doing that ever since Adam. Adam made the flimsiest excuse 
ever made, when he blamed his sin upon his wife. I pity those 
men who blame their wives for their shortcomings. One of 
these men had bought a piece of ground and had to see it. This 
was his excuse. He was doubtless a very polite man and told 
the servant to tell his king that he knew of no man whose sup- 
per he would be more pleased to attend than his, but 'business 
before pleasure, every time, you know, and I must see to this 
piece of ground. I'd like to come but really, I don't see how 
I can do it. I pray thee have me excused.' The second man 
had bought a yoke of oxen and had to prove them. Now, do 
you think that man went out that night to see those oxen? 
Why didn't he try them before he bought them? Do you 
think he took them out of the stall and worked them after 
dark? Not he. What he wanted to do was make an excuse, 
and the thought of those oxen popped into his head, so he 
gave that. The third man made the most absurd excuse of 
any of them. He had married a wife and couldn't come. 
Didn't he know that the young bride would be only too glad 
to go to the wedding feast? Didn't he know that it would be 
just the place where young couples go and see how the oth- 
ers do it? Yes, in his sober moments he knew this, but he was 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 327 

all confused, and wanting an excuse, made the most absurd 
one he could. 

"Now, the excuses these men made seem foolish and they 
are, but I challenge any one in this great crowd to make a 
better one than those made by those three men. Let me tell 
you some of the excuses you will make to your conscience to- 
night for not accepting Christianity. I hear excuses are the 
devil's cradles in which he rocks men's souls to sleep. Let 
me tell you some made here in Kansas City, Mo., not in Kan- 
sas City, Kas. Yes, right in this hall to-night. 

"The first excuse is the old Book. One fellow says this 
book contradicts itself. It isn't true. I challenge any man 
to show me a single promise God has made to His people He 
has not kept. The people who know the Bible are not the 
people who revile it, but those who never read it, who know 
nothing about it, are its denunciators. One man who claimed 
to know it, and that he had read it through, I found once, but 
I didn't believe he had ever read it through. He could quote 
but one passage in it, and that was the shortest verse in the 
whole Bible — 'J esus wept.' People are ready to give their 
opinion on a new book only after they have read it two or 
three times, but they give their opinion about the Bible before 
they have read it — on hearsay only. 

"Another excuse is, ' I am foreordained to be saved. If I 
am I shall be saved, no matter what I do, so I don't have to 
stand up here and profess before all these people. If God 
wants me saved He will save me.' Now, you try that in tem- 
poral affairs. Just you sit in your seats and if God wants you 
to go home to your family He will get you there, even if He 
has to carry you through the window head first and put you 
to bed. If He wants you to succeed in business He will see 
that you do so. You needn't move a finger. That's fine phil- 
osophy, isn't it? 

AFRAID OF HYPOCRITES. 

"Then there are men who cry 'hypocrites! hypocrites!' to 



328 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

those who are in the church. But there's one hypocrite in the 
church to forty in the world. Why don't you go out of busi- 
ness if you are afraid of hypocrites? Are you a grocer? Don't 
some grocers put pounded marble in their sugar? Are you 
a doctor? Are there no quacks among the doctors? Are 
you a lawyer? Are there no tricky lawyers? I'm sick and 
tired of men who make up excuses out of the failings of oth- 
ers. If you hear a man who always howls 'hypocrites,' you 
may be sure he isn't far from one himself. 

"But people say, 'Isn't it hard to be a Christian?' I say 'no, 
it's easy/ God is not a hard master. To say he is, is a lie, 
and I would like to drive that lie back to hell where it came 
from. It is Satan who is the hard master. Did you ever see 
the drunkard try to get by a saloon? How he struggles, how 
he tries to pass it by! But he cannot for an unseen power 
drags him in. Who is the harder master, Christ or Satan? 

"I've worn God's yoke for over forty years and I have al- 
ways found it easy. There is nothing sweeter than to obey 
the will of God. He is not a severe taskmaster. You may 
trust God. I can believe in God rather than in D. L. Moody. 
My heart has deceived me a thousand times, but God has 
never deceived me once. 

"But the main excuse for not becoming a Christian is sin, 
and it's generally one kind of sin. Accursed sin holds you 
back and controls you and makes you fear. Oh, put off that 
sin and come to God! He is waiting for you. If you have 
a good impulse, act on it. Don't be afraid. I say that most 
of the good done in the world is done by men who act on im- 
pulses. I am sixty-two and I have acted on impulses all my 
life. I never made a mistake by acting on an impulse that I 
felt to be good. 

"The normal growth of the Christian is toward more kind- 
ness and a more beautiful nature. Have you ever noticed 
how many old people are cross and crabbed these days? That 
is because they have not been good Christians. I am not 



MR. MOODY'S LAST CAMPAIGN. 329 

old. I am only sixty-two. I am an infant to the ages that 
will roll over me when I am gone. Those who live in Christ 
will live forever. The glory is not past, but to come." 

Mr. Moody returned at once to his hotel at close of the ser- 
mon little dreaming that his long day's work was done, for 
him a little rest, and then the coming glory. "Those who 
live in Christ will live forever." 

Friday, November 17th, the message was flashed over the 
wires, "Mr. Moody was stricken with heart disease. He may 
preach no more." When he found that he must give up his 
afternoon service, he said, "I regret it very much. It's the 
first time I ever did such a thing." Yet even then he hoped 
he might be able to address the night meeting. During the 
afternoon his condition became so alarming that he gave way 
to the advice of his physician and asked that he might be hur- 
ried home on a special car. A little later and he was on his 
way home, borne up as on angels' hands by the prayers ol 
thousands of sympathetic hearts and by the Almighty's arms 
of divine love. 

After midnight he began to rally somewhat and before noon 
it was telegraphed over the country that he was considered to 
be out of immediate danger. And so, graciously, did the 
Lord deal with His faithful servant and grant him the great 
desire of his heart that his life might be spared to reach North- 
field. 







The Funeral at Northfield. 

ASSING clown Chestnut street on Friday afternoon 
December 22cl, I saw a crowd gathered in front 
of a newspaper office, and on pressing my way 
nearer I read: "Dwight L. Moody, the famous 
evangelist, died at noon to-day. He broke down at 
a revival service several weeks ago, and never rallied. ,, 
Though anticipating this result of his illness, yet this bulle- 
tin was a shock to me, as to many thousands more all over the 
land. The bulletins from Northfield, while informing the 
public of Mr. Moody's serious illness, had intimated some 
slight improvement; indeed the few days previous had shown 
such a steady gain, that the members of Mr. Moody's family, 
and inner circle of friends, did not anticipate that this illness 
would be immediately fatal. But on Thursday there was a 
change for the worse. Symptoms of increasing nervousness 
appeared, accompanied by a weakness that was alarming. This 
continued during the night, and at eight o'clock Mr. Moody 
called his wife and children about him telling them that the 
end was not far off. The family remained close by the bed- 
side all the forenoon that they might not miss one word, one 
single glance of love, one word of precious testimony. In 
his weakness he was almost free from pain, as often happens 
in heart disease as the beatings lose their force, and occa- 
sionally he talked with apparent ease. Among 

THE LAST WORDS 

he uttered were these, worthy of being remembered, so 
strikingly characteristic were they of the man: "I have always 
been an ambitious man, not to lay up wealth, but to find work 
to do." Then speaking of the work he was leaving behind 
him he said: "I should like to make a will at this time. I have 
not a penny to leave you, but I should like Will to take Mount 



FUNERAL AT NORTHFIELD. 331 

Hermon; Percy, you and Emma the Chicago Bible Institute, 
and Paul, I give you the Seminary." 

During one of the intervals of weakness he seemed to be 
asleep for awhile, but when they roused him, saying, ''Father, 
you have been asleep," he replied, "No! I've not been asleep; 
I have been within the gates. I have seen Irene and the chil- 
dren (mentioning the names of his other grandchildren). 
This is God's call. It is my coronation day." Again he said, 
"If this is death, it is not to be dreaded; it is beautiful; it is 
glorious." Then looking lovingly, calmly upon them, he 
said: "It is easy to go away, but for you, but for you, seeing 
there is no dark valley." That vision was inexpressibly com- 
forting to the family, and sweet to him. 

A little later came the triumphant words, never to be for- 
gotten: "Earth is receding, Heaven is opening, God is calling 
me." A slight change indicated that the end was near, and at 
exactly noon the great preacher passed within the veil that 
had grown so thin, and passed on to glory and to God. 

During the last twenty-five years of his life, Mr. Moody had 
learned to lean with his entire weight upon the divine prom- 
ises, and they had never failed him. So, now, in these last 
hours, his victory through faith had been so manifestly glor- 
ious, that wife, and family, and friends, though natural grief 
must have been strong upon them, were most wonderfully sus- 
tained as by the encircling power of the everlasting arms. 
Things eternal were so near, so real, so precious; they were 
so confident that he had entered the circle of the loved and 
blessed ones, that it was, indeed, for him, a coronation day, 
that they, too, were able to rejoice "with joy unspeakable 
and full of glory." The inspiration of that triumphant de- 
parture was so strong upon them that some were even amazed 
at the entire absence of that spirit of depression which so of- 
ten rests like a dead weight upon the hearts of a stricken 
household. 

The Sabbath passed slowly in a downpour of rain, yet some 



332 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

of the household were in their usual places at the forenoon ser- 
vices in the Congregational church. Tuesday morning came — 

THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL. 

There was no air of gloom about the house. The curtains 
were raised as usual, the clear winter sunlight lay bright and 
warm upon the floors within. Mr. Moody, clad in his usual 
garb, lay like one asleep, only he was so cold and still. It had 
been arranged that the body should be borne to the church 
early in the day, there to lie in state until the services should 
begin at 2.30 in the afternoon. There was but a brief service 
at the house for the family, and a few intimate friends, at nine 
A. M., consisting of the reading of a few passages of scrip- 
ture by Dr. Scofield, pastor of the church, and prayer by Dr. 
Torrey, of Chicago. Then came the trying ordeal when Mrs. 
Moody and family and relatives were left alone with their 
dead. We are sure, however, that through their tears, look- 
ing up to heaven they saw the "vision splendid" — the rainbow 
round about the throne of God. 

After the retirement of the family, the body was placed in 
the casket, then carried out and placed upon the bier, and 
having been covered with white roses, it was borne by relays 
of Mount Hermon students to the Congregational Church. 

It was not until 10.30 A. M. that this brief procession was 
able to leave the house, with Rev. Dr. Scofield and Dr. Torrey 
walking in front of the bier and its escorts of students, the 
honorary pall bearers, Geo. C. Stebbins and Ira D. Sankey, R. 
C. Morse and D. W. McWilliams, Rev. Dr. Geo. C. Need- 
ham and Dr. W. J. Erdman following, and after them a large 
group of friends. 

Having arrived at the church the casket was placed in front 
of the pulpit, and the lid removed. The guard of honor took 
up their positions — professors from Northfield schools stand- 
ing at the head and the foot of the casket — and then the lov- 
ing, tearful throngs began to pass by, to look for the last time 



FUNERAL AT NORTHFIELD. 333 

on the face of one who had brought to hundreds of them the 
greatest spiritual force that had ever entered into their lives. 

When we remember the transformation of that little, dull, 
New England village to the Northneld of to-day, known 
throughout Christendom as the home of Mr. Moody, the seat 
of great educational institutions, as the center of the most re- 
markable Christian conferences to be found in the wide world, 
we need not be surprised at the honor paid to his memory. 
From near and from far, from all the region round about, they 
gathered by the hundreds — from the hamlets and scattered 
villages, from all the adjacent towns and from distant cities — 
until it was estimated that at least three thousand people were 
present at this most memorable funeral service which North- 
field may ever witness. 

In the church, as at the house, no funeral pall was allowed 
to gather about the soul. Everything spoke of life and hope. 
Evergreens decorated the galleries as for Christmas rejoic- 
ings. A pillow of green, on which a crown of white roses had 
been interwoven, was placed at the head of the casket. At 
the foot was a floral design of an open Bible, having on one 
page the word "Victory," on the other the reference II Tim. 
4:7-8, which is, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
course, I have kept the faith," etc. Sheaves of wheat sug- 
gested the harvest of a rich and ripened life, sprays of roses, 
the fragrance of his memory, and the laurel and the palm 
spoke again of victory and the crown. 

The center of the church had been reserved for the family 
and immediate friends; on either side were massed the hun- 
dreds of students from Mount Hermon and Northfield, while 
the galleries were crowded to the stairs with villagers and vis- 
itors. On the platform were a number of distinguished min- 
isters and laymen, who had gathered to pay respect to his 
memory or bring a tribute of praise to his honor. Among 
them were Rev. Dr. H. G. Weston, of Crozier Theological 
Seminary; Rev. Dr. Geo. C. Needham and Hon. John Wana- 



334 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

maker, of Philadelphia; Revs. Drs. A. T. Pierson and A. C. 
Dixon, of Brooklyn; Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, of New York; 
Dr. H. M. Wharton, of Baltimore; Rev. E. Payson Hammond 
and Bishop Mallalieu, of the Methodist Church. 
Soon after the arrival of the family, 

THE SERVICES AT THE CHURCH 

began, with a hymn by the congregation. Scripture lesson, 
read by Dr. Pierson, and a prayer followed, and then all 
joined in singing "Emanuel's Land." Rev. Dr. Scofield, Mr. 
Moody's home pastor, then delivered a very eloquent and in- 
spiring eulogy, speaking from II Cor. 5:1 and 6. He began 
by saying: "We know. We are always confident. This is 
the Christian's attitude toward the mystery of death — we are 
confident and willing to be absent from the body and present 
with the Lord. For we know that if our earthly house of this 
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an 
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' We 
know; we are always confident. In this triumphant assurance 
Dwight L. Moody lived and at high noon, last Friday, he died. 
We are not met, dear friends, to mourn a defeat, but to cele- 
brate a triumph. 'He walked with God, and he was not, for 
God took him.' " 

This reference to Enoch recalls to us some of Mr. Moody's 
most striking works regarding him. "By faith he could see, 
in that world of light, Him who is invisible. He was dead to 
the world. He had the world under his feet. He could see 
that everything was trifling here, and would soon pass away; 
but that God's kingdom was an everlasting kingdom, and that 
He would reign forever, and he walked with God. One day the 
cord that bound him to earth and time snapped asunder. God 
said to him, 'Come up higher,' and up he went to walk in 
glory. God liked his company, so well that He called His 
servant home. Dr. Andrew Bonar has said that 'Enoch took 
a long walk with God one day, and has not got back yet/ 



FUNERAL AT NORTHFIELD. 335 

"There in the west, in the presence of great audiences of 
twelve thousand of his fellow men, God spoke to Mr. Moody 
to lay it all down and come home. He would have planned it 
so. No one will ever question that we are to-day laying in 
the kindly bosom of the earth the mortal body of a great man. 
Whether we measure greatness by qualities of character, by 
qualities of intellect, or by things done, Dwight L. Moody 
must be accounted great. The basis of Mr. Moody's charac- 
ter was sincerity, genuineness. He had an inveterate aver- 
sion to all forms of sham, unreality and pretense. Most of 
all did he detest religious pretense or cant. 

Mr. Moody also cherished a great love of righteousness. 
His first questioning concerning any proposition was, "Is it 
right?" But those two qualities which must necessarily lie at 
the bottom of all noble character were in him suffused and 
transfigured by divine grace. The secret of Mr. Moody's 
power lay in the following: First, in a definite experience of 
Christ's saving grace. He had passed out of death into life 
and he knew it. He knew Him whom he believed. His life 
had in it the ring of deepest conviction. Secondly, Mr. Moody 
believed in the divine authority of the scriptures. The Bible 
was to him the voice of God, and he made it resound as such 
in the consciences of men. Thirdly, he was baptized with the 
Holy Ghost, and he knew that he was. It was to him as defi- 
nite an experience as his conversion. Fourthly, he was a man 
of prayer. He believed in a living and unfettered God. 
"He did not believe that God had bound Himself under bond- 
age to His own laws, he believed in a God that could answer 
prayer." But, finally, Mr. Moody believed in work, in cease- 
less effort, in wise provision, in organization and publicity. I 
like to think of Dwight L. Moody in heaven. Farewell, for a 
little time, great heart. May a double portion of the Spirit 
be vouchsafed to us who remain. 

The eloquent Bishop Mallalieu delivered 



33$ DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

A GLOWING TRIBUTE 
to Mr. Moody whom he characterized as one of the most ut- 
terly unselfish and devoted disciple that ever followed the 
Master. He said that he had first met and became acquainted 
with Mr. Moody in London, in the summer of 1875. "From 
that day when he moved the masses of the world's metropolis, 
to the hour when he answered the call of God to come up 
higher, I have known him, esteemed him and loved him. 
Surely, we may now say, that in his death one of the truest., 
bravest, purest and most influential men of this century has 
passed to his rest and his reward. With feelings of unspeak- 
able loss and desolation we gather about the casket that con- 
tains all that was mortal of Dwight L. Moody. 

''Yet what a mighty uplift and inspiration must come to each 
one of us as we contemplate his character and achievements. 
In bone and brawn and brain he was a typical New Englander. 
He was descended from the choicest New England stock, was 
born of a New England mother, and from his earliest life he 
breathed the free air of his native hills, and was carefully 
trained in the knowlegde of God. It was to be expected of 
such a rugged nature that, when converted, and consecrated 
thoroughly, completely and irrevocably to the service of God 
and humanity, he would become a Christian of most pro- 
nounced characteristics. The heart of no disciple of the Mas- 
ter ever beat with more genuine, sympathetic and utterly un- 
selfish loyalty than did this great heart. He held fast to the 
absolute truth of the Bible, and unequivocably and intensely 
believed it to be the inerrant word of God. He preached the 
gospel, rather than talked about the gospel. He used his 
mother tongue, speaking in clear, terse, ringing, straightfor- 
ward Saxon. He had the profoundest sense of brotherhood 
with all the poor, unfortunate and even outcast ones among 
the people. He was unaffectedly tender and patient with the 
weak and sinful. He hated evil as thoroughly as he loved 
goodness. He knew right well how to lead penitent souls di- 



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Snap-shot of Moody. 



FUNERAL AT NORTHFIELD. 337 

rectly to the Savior. He had the rare and happy art of arous- 
ing Christian people to the performance of their duties. He 
had in his own soul a conscious, joyous experience of personal 
salvation. And hence the people flocked to his services by 
the thousands, they heard him gladly, they believed and were 
converted. Because of these blessed results Mr. Moody came 
to be prized and honored by all denominations, so that to- 
day all Protestantism recognizes the fact that he was God's 
servant, an ambassador for Christ, a chosen vessel to bear the 
name of Jesus to the nations. 

"We shall not again behold his manly form animated with 
life; hear his thrilling voice, or be moved by his consecrated 
personality; but if we are true and faithful to our Lord we 
shall see him in glory, for already he walks the streets of the 
heavenly city, he mingles in the song of the innumerable com- 
pany of white robed saints, sees the King in His beauty and 
awaits our coming. May God grant that in due time we may 
meet him over yonder." 

MR. MOODY'S MASTERY OF MEN. 

President Weston spoke most eloquently of Mr. Moody's 
strong influence over men and the power by which he drew 
them fast to his side. Of his splendid address we can give 
but a part: 

"I count as one of the greatest blessings of my life my ac- 
quaintance with Mr. Moody, the influence he had on me, and 
the privilege of studying God's methods in his life and work. 
We instinctively attribute the success of every man who is 
eminent in influencing others, to some special, natural endow- 
ment, to education and training, or to a magnetic power. Mr. 
Moody had none of these, yet no man has surpassed him in 
his power of attraction and influence, both over masses of 
men and over individuals of strong character, and of great 
resources, whom he fastened to himself with hooks of steel, 
making them not only his lifelong friends but his constant 
22 



338 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

partners in all his good works. We ean not explain this mar- 
velous power by his possession of any one peculiar natural 
gift. What had he? He had life. 1 do not mean the man- 
ner of living, but what the Bible means by this word — what 
Christ means by it when He says, 'I am come that they might 
have life, might have it more abundantly.' God gave him life, 
made him a partaker of the divine nature, and from the 
moment he received it the development, growth and mani- 
festation of that life became the whole object of his existence. 
To it he devoted every power of his being, and that devotion 
kindled into interest and activity every latent energy of his 
nature, and made him the complete, full-orbed man that he 
was, and gave him his wonderful mastery over man. 

"Then he nourished and strengthened that life by devotion 
to God's Word. He realized to the full Christ's words, 'Man 
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceed- 
eth out of the mouth of God.' This word he hid in his heart, 
ready for use on every occasion and in every emergency. His 
mind and heart were given to the study of the word of God, 
and from it he drew forth treasures both new and old. 

"But his life, like that of his Master's, was given for others. 
He did not search the Bible to enrich his own heart merely, 
but that he might learn how to save men. He counted all but 
loss unless this were attained, unless he might win men to 
Christ. It was this growing conformity to the likeness of 
Christ, the transparent sincerity of his own life, which gave 
him power with men. They listened to him, they believed 
him; they yielded themselves to the power of the truth as he 
proclaimed the gospel of salvation. 

"And so, because Mr. Moody could in his measure use those 
great words of Christ, '1 am come that ye might have life,' be- 
cause those words expressed his whole being, T loved and 
honored him, and because of what he was, and, therefore, of 
what he did. I say to-day, I had rather be Mr. Moody dead, 
lying there in his coffin, than any living man on earth." 



FUNERAL AT NORTHFIELD. 339 

VICTORY THROUGH GRACE. 

Dr. Torrey spoke of the victory through grace which had 
wrought so wonderfully in Mr. Moody's life and was at that 
moment the inspiration of their own. In his address were 
these words to the family: 

"It is oftentimes the first duty of a pastor to speak words of 
comfort to those whose hearts are aching with loneliness, and 
breaking underneath the burden of their sorrow, but this is 
utterly unnecessary to-d^y. The God of all comfort hath al- 
ready abundantly comforted them with a comfort wherewith 
in coming days they will be able to comfort others. I have 
spent hours within the last few days with those who are near- 
est to our departed friend, and the words that I have heard 
from them have been words of rest in God and triumph. As 
one of them has said: 'God must be answering the prayers 
that are going up for us all over the world, we are being so 
wonderfully sustained.' Another has said: 'His last four glo- 
rious hours on earth have taken all the sting out of death.' 
And still another, 'Be sure that every word to-day is a word of 
triumph.' " 

Dr. Torrey first spoke on the words of Paul, I Cor. XV:io: 
''By the grace of God I am what I am," saying that God had 
wonderfully magnified His grace and love in D. L. Moody. 

"God was magnified in his birth. That child, born sixty- 
two years ago, that wonderful soul, was God's gift to the 
world. How much it meant, how much the world has been 
blessed by it we shall never know this side the coming of our 
Lord. In his conversion, forty-three years ago, the grace of 
the Lord Jesus was manifested. By the power of the word 
and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, Mr. Moody 
became a mighty man of God. It was all of God's grace; and 
that grace and God's love were magnified in the development 
of that character, and the direction of that life. That charac- 
ter and life were God's gift to a world that sorely needed men 
like him, God's grace and love were magnified again in his 



340 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

service. The great secret of his success was supernatural 
power, given in answer to prayer." 

The second thought was based on Joshua i :2. "The death 
of Mr. Moody is a call to go forward. It is a call to his chil- 
dren, his associates, to ministers of the gospel, to the whole 
church, to go forward. 'Our leader has fallen, let us give up 
the work' some would say. Not for a moment. Listen to 
what God said to Joshua: 'Moses, my servant, is dead. Now, 
therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, 
unto the land which I do give them.' 'Move forward. As I 
was with D. L. Moody so I will be with you. I will not fail 
thee nor forsake thee.' " 

It certainly is very significant of the unity of spirit, purpose 
and faith that inspires all who were associated with Mr. 
Moody in his great educational work that there has not been 
a discordant or minor key struck since his death. They are 
looking and planning for greater things to be wrought out at 
Northfield, Mount Hermon and at the Bible Institute, than 
have ever yet been achieved. These great institutions are 
just coming into the maturity of their powers. 

Dr. Chapman spoke very briefly of Mr. Moody's finding him 
in college when he had no definite object in Christ, and point- 
ing him to the hope in God. "He saw my heart and I saw his 
Savior." In later years when preaching without any great 
results, Mr. Moody came to him and laid one hand on his 
shoulder and the other on the open Bible, and said, "Young 
man, you had better get more of this into your life." "And 
so, when I became an evangelist myself, in perplexity I would 
still sit at his feet, and every perplexity would vanish just as 
mist before the rising sun. He was the dearest friend I have 
had. If my own father were lying in the coffin I could not feel 
more the sense of loss." 

Dr. H. M. Wharton delivered a brief address, as did also 
Hon. John Wanamaker, but as Mr. Wanamaker's address at 
the memorial services held in Philadelphia will be given in full 



FUNERAL AT NORTHFIELD. 341 

we pass to the closing remarks of Dr. A. T. Pierson, who paid 
a special tribute to Mr. Moody's memory. 

The keynote to that remarkable life, he thought to be the 
hour when in Chicago Mr. Moody laid aside all business am- 
bitions and determined to live for God. It was that consecra- 
tion of life which caused everything which he undertook in the 
cause of Christ to be crowned with success. In preaching the 
gospel he must have directly reached many millions. Taking 
into consideration his evangelistic labors for thirty years, all 
the people that his printed sermons, and addresses and books 
have reached through the various translations which have 
been made, it may be that the multitudes whose lives he 
has touched would number one hundred millions. 

As Mr. Moody's departure caused a world-wide lamenta- 
tion here on earth, so at his entrance into heaven there must 
have been an unusual commotion. "Can you think of any 
other man of the last century whose coming so many souls 
would have welcomed at the gates of heaven? It was a tri- 
umphal entrance into glory." 

MR. MOODY'S GREAT AMBITION. 

In the closing paragraphs of a sermon on Heaven, Mr. 
Moody once narrated the following story: 

It became a father's sad duty to break to his dear son who 
had been dangerously ill, the fact that the end was very near. 
As he did so the young man looked up, saying, "Am I dying?" 
"Yes, my son." "Will I die to-day?" "Yes, my boy, you 
can not live until night." 

"And the boy looked surprised and yet seemed glad, and 
said, 'Well, father, I will be with Jesus to-night, won't I?' 
'Yes, my boy, you will soon be with the Savior' ; and the father 
turned away to conceal his tears, when the dear boy said, 
'Father, don't you weep. for me; when I get to heaven, I'll go 
straight to Jesus and tell Him that ever since I can remember 
you have tried to lead me to Him.' " And then Mr. Moody 



342 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

added with great emotion, "I would rather have such testi- 
mony as this go home to my Father through my children than 
to have the world rolled at my feet. I would rather have them 
come to my grave and drop a tear on it, and say, 'When my 
father lived he was more anxious for my eternal salvation 
than he was for my temporal good,' than 1 would to have all 
the power this world can bestow." 

That hour had now come at Northfield, when Mr. Will R. 
Moody, the eldest son of the great evangelist, rose in his pew 
and with voice trembling with emotion gave this testimony 
concerning his father: 

"As a son I want to say a few words of him as a father. We 
have heard from his pastor, his associates and friends, and he 
was just as true as a father. I don't think he showed up in 
any way better than when, on one or tw r o occasions in dealing 
with us as children, with his impulsive nature he spoke rather 
sharply. We have known him to come to us and say, 'My 
children, my son, my daughter, T spoke quickly; I did wrong. 
I want you to forgive me.' That was D. L. Moody as a 
father. 

"He was not yearning to go; he loved his work. Life was 
very attractive. It seems as though on that early morning, 
as he had one foot upon the threshold, it was given him for our 
sake to give us a word of comfort. He said, This is bliss; it 
is like a trance. If this is death, it is beautiful.' And his face 
lighted up as he mentioned those whom he saw. T have been 
inside the gates. God is calling me. Do not call me back.' 

"We could not call him back; we tried to for a moment, but 
we could not. He had crossed the bar homeward. It was 
putting out to sea. We thank God for his home life, for his 
true life; and we thank God that he was our father, and that he 
led each one of his children to know Jesus Christ." 

With the singing of "Blessed Hope" by the Mount Hermon 
quartet, the services at the church ended, the casket was 
closed and borne to Round Top, where Mr. Moody had 



FUNERAL AT NORTHFIELD. 343 

dearly loved to hold his six o'clock meetings on summer eve- 
nings. There, with the singing of a single verse of "Jesus, 
Lover of My Soul," just as the winter sun was sinking behind 
the western hills, the body of Dwight L. Moody was laid to 
rest in the sure hope of the resurrection. 




Memorial Services in Philadelphia. 

®N Thursday evening, January nth, 1900, a memor- 
ial service was held in the Temple Baptist Church, 
Broad and Berks Streets. In spite of a heavy 
downpour of rain, two or three thousand people 
thronged the Temple to do honor to the memory 
of Dwight L. Moody. Rev. Bishop C. D. Foss, D. D., LL.D., 
presided over the meeting. On the platform, among others, 
were gathered Rev. Drs. S. W. Dana, Floyd W. Tomkins, 
Wayland Hoyt; Hon. John Wanamaker and Mr. Ira D. San- 
key, whose addresses are given together with that of Rev. 
Kerr Boyce Tupper, who was unable to be present to deliver 
it in person. The singing of the choir and congregation was 
led by Professor Fischer, who, in 1875, conducted the great 
chorus in the "old depot." 

During the evening Mr. Sankey, who is still in remarkably 
good voice, sang "There'll be No Dark Valley," and the gos- 
pel hymn, "Saved by Grace"; but of special interest was a new 
hymn written in memory of Mr. Moody, which he rendered 
with great tenderness and effect. Of it we may give but a 
single verse: 

OUT OF THE SHADOW-LAND. 
"God is calling me." — D. L. Moody. 
"Out of the shadow-land, into the sunshine, 

Cloudless, eternal, that fades not away; 
Softly and tenderly, Jesus hath called him 

Home, where the ransomed are gathering to-day." 
Chorus: 
"Silently, peacefully, angels have borne him, 

Into the beautiful mansions above; 
There shall he rest from earth's toiling forever, 
Safe in the arms of God's infinite love." 



MEMORIAL SERVICES IN PHILADELPHIA. 345 

During the exercises, out of numerous letters received, Rev. 
W. C. Webb, D.D., secretary of the Evangelical Alliance, 
under whose auspices the meeting was held, read testimonials 
from Rev. George White, Rev. Dr. McCook, Bishop Whit- 
taken, Mr. Lewis Redner, Mr. John Field, and Rev. Russel H. 
Conwell, the absent pastor of the Temple. 

The services were opened by singing the hymn, "In the 
Cross of Christ I Glory," and reading of the scriptures. 
Prayer was then offered by Rev. George A. Peltz, assistant 
pastor of the church. 

"Our Heavenly Father, it is always a solemn privilege when 
we draw near to Thee, and we feel to-night that it is especially 
solemn, and that it is a privilege. We feel solemnized be- 
cause we are impressed with the fact that the workers that 
seem the most important here on earth can be dispensed with 
in a moment, and by Thy grace they pass onward and they 
pass off this stage of action in the midst of their usefulness. 
When the breadth of their activity seems to be growing day 
by day, even then Thou seest fit to lay them aside. None of 
us are important to Thee, and yet every one of us Thou dost 
honor by giving a place in Thy kingdom and by giving us a 
work which we shall do. 

"O God, we remember with tender hearts to-night the man 
of God that has gone from among us ; we remember his min- 
istries in this pulpit; we remember his ministries through our 
land, and through the world his influence has gone, and gone 
for good. 

"O God, when such a worker may be laid aside, what shall 
be said for the rest of us? We are humiliated before Thee. How 
little have we done, how narrow has been our influence, how 
few we have led to Christ, how little we have illustrated the 
Master's spirit, but we would come to Thee, O God, and while 
Thou hast taken from among us that dear brother whom we 
loved, whom we so honored, at whose feet we delighted to sit, 
we remember that he is with Thee, and that Thou art the great 



346 DWIGI1T L. MOODY. 

Teacher, that Thou art the one that didst teach him, the one 
whom lie did supremely honor, and Thou art with us, and we 
may honor and we may serve Thee, and blessed be Thy holy 
name, we may have help and we may have Thy blessing, and 
for that we pray. Thou hast given gifts unto Thy churches 
and workers, and conspicuously to the brother that has gone. 
O, take us, take every believer in Jesus before Thee here to- 
night, take every believer in Jesus knowing of this meeting 
and who would have been here had circumstances permitted, 
take every one of those who love Thee and endow them with 
power from on high, and send them out to labor for Thee in a 
spirit that cannot be resisted and that will win hearts to Christ 
and bring glory to Thy blessed name. For that we are gath- 
ered here, not to laud a fellow-man, but to praise Thy grace 
that out of man Thou didst make such a mighty power. Take 
us, O God, make powers of us. and make that the result of our 
gathering here to-night. This we ask in Jesus' name. Amen." 
The addresses followed, and then with the hymn, ''God be 
with You Till We meet again," with memories quickened, 
hearts aroused, and souls keyed up to more earnest and con- 
secrated endeavor, the great audience was dismissed with the 
benediction. 





What Mr. Moody Was. 

By Bishop Cyrus D. Foss, D.D., LL. D. 

F there is joy in heaven among angels over one sinner 
which repenteth, what welcome must our good friend 
have had who preached the gospel no doubt to many 
millions of men and was God's agent in leading 
scores of thousands to the foot of the cross. What 
outbursts of angelic saintly songs and what a symphony of 
the golden harps there must have been in heaven when he 
arrived! What was this wonderful man who belonged to all 
churches of every faith on both sides of the Atlantic? 

I wish to say four things that are in my mind and heart to 
say. To begin with, he was a great pattern of a man, and 
when God has a great work to do He prepares a special in- 
strument. When such men are prepared they are only made 
to follow out the lines He has laid down, and they may all 
have faults; probably our brother and friend had his. I do 
not know of them. But God made him on a large pattern and 
gave him a great nature, and I have reason to believe that he 
preached the gospel to more men than any other man who 
ever lived. I challenge your attention to that proposition. 
I believe it is correct. He could have done any one of twenty 
other things accurately if it had fallen to his lot, and training 
had prepared him for it. He might have been a great gen- 
eral like Washington or Grant, he might have been a great 
Speaker of the House of Representatives; any one of twenty 
great things were possible to him, if God's providence had 
led him to them. 

Another thing I verily- believe about him, he was a man of 
rare consecration. Alas, that so many professing Christians 
fritter their lives away in asking whether they shall do their 
duty. That question never seemed to come to him after his 



348 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

conversion. As with St. Paul, once for all he answered the 
question, "Lord, what wilt thou have me do?" Having set- 
tled that question simply, it was for him to find what his duty 
was, and that this good man, it seems to me, was ever ready 
to spring with a relish and gladness to do and never to waste 
his time in asking whether or not a duty should be done. 

From that blundering boyhood, that ignorant and illiterate 
boyhood of his,when, as an attendant of Dr. Kirk's church in 
Boston, having found his way to the foot of the cross, he 
could not tell enough about it yet for a year to be admitted to 
the church and from there to the slums of Chicago, so awk- 
wardly done at first, all the way along he showed the spirit of 
supreme consecration to God, to duty and to Jesus Christ and 
to the work of evangelism. No doubt if you would wake him 
up at midnight after his most wearisome labors, when utterly 
exhausted, and asked him to lead a sinner to the foot of the 
cross, there would flash from his eyes a look that would have 
drawn that sinner to the foot of the cross. He was from the 
crown of his head to the sole of his feet consecrated to God, 
I think, to this great work of Evangelization to which God 
had called him. He was also a man of one book, and that 
was a great thing about him. He loved the Bible, he be- 
lieved in the Bible, he knew the Bible as very few men ever 
come to know it. He used it truthfully and trustfully in his 
later years. The immense charity which the Bible teaches 
became so great that he welcomed to the platform at North- 
field men whose views about the Book were different from 
his own, knowing them to be right at heart. Witness his 
royal welcome to Henry Drummond and George Adam 
Smith. But for himself he trusted the Book and loved the 
Book and was continually reading it and applying it to the 
conscience and heart of man. Few men I have ever known, 
and T have heard him speak many times, seem to me to have 
had such a power with the Word. He was not a great reader 
©f other books, and not a profound student of books of the- 



WHAT MOODY WAS. 349 

ology especially, and yet he became a profound Christian 
teacher, a great Christian teacher in his use of his Bible, as his 
was a trustful view and he used the word of God as the Son of 
God used it at the stormiest period of his life, namely, in the 
desert of temptation when Satan tried him with all the arts, 
Jesus kept his eye on the devil, and put his hands and took as 
though from any place in the Old Testament, and He drew two 
arrows from the shaft of Deuteronomy, or three good blades 
of fine point, at which Satan fled. He never once asked Him- 
self the question whether Moses wrote the whole Pentateuch 
or not. Now, Mr. Moody used his Bible just as trustfully and 
it answered his purpose right well. 

Vv^ith one word more I will close. He was gifted by God 
with rare power of generalship. His body was strong and 
massive, his eye was keen and efficient, his will was a great, 
commanding will. You well remember how he would raise 
that arm when it would seem almost like a sword of a general, 
and when his voice sounded like a clarion. He was a great 
worker and was able to manage a great meeting of six, ten, 
and twelve thousand people. The sight of his managing such 
a meeting was a grand phenomenon to any student of human 
nature. In doing that work he commanded the ready 
acquiescence of the people, since the people, our English 
and Scotch friends, all are obedient in such a meeting, and 
he was the master of the situation, a man fitted to be a great 
leader of evangelism in our time. But he has passed on to a 
more excellent glory, and I hail him there to-night, "Servant 
of God, well done; thy glorious warfare past, the battle 
fought, the victory won, and thou art crowned at last." 




At the Funeral — An Address. 

By Hon. John Wanamaker. 

R. Chairman: This is a stormy night to stand about 
a grave and it would seem as if all the tears of 
the country had come into Philadelphia as a fit 
setting for a memorial service. I hardly know 
how to speak to-night, or to try to speak. 
There are three chapters of my thoughts. I cannot utter 
them all. First, the reminiscences that go back to my box- 
hood when Mr. Moody was just rising into his young man- 
hood, when I met him first, or the story of the two hours 
after the funeral service at Northfield, or chapter three, the 
lessons of such a life. 

To take one perhaps would be better. The newspapers are 
full of the incidents of this great life wjiich for years to come 
will be fresh to the American people. That was a life, indeed. 
There does not seem to have been a part of him that was half 
asleep. If there was anything that Mr. Moody loved, it was 
life and he was the embodiment of it, physically, mentally and 
spiritually. 

AT NORTHFIELD. 

It might interest you the most, perhaps, to have a little 
quiet visit for a few moments to the humble home where he 
laid him down in the chambers of peace with his face towards 
the sunrise and fell asleep. 

No one who came to Northfield at any time could go away 
without a deep impression of its sweet quiet, as though the 
touch of an inspired life was over all the hills. And how im- 
pressive to go there on a day when the business of every kind 
had stopped, and the people with mournful faces, those that 
could not enter the church standing in knots about the village 



AT THE FUNERAL— AN ADDRESS. 351 

and on the roadside and a large church not large enough to 
contain, perhaps, the students, had by their gracious courtesy 
been given over to people who came from far and near to sit 
close to the man that had fallen asleep. It would be impossi- 
ble to convey to any one's mind a full impression of that after- 
noon. The service beginning really at half-past ten in the 
morning, when the form of our old friend was lying in front 
of the pulpit and the people came and went all day, until 2.30, 
when the services began. 

To attempt to tie half a dozen threads out of those wonder- 
ful words that were spoken would be almost an impossibility. 
I am simply trying to give you an impression of the occasion. 
I can never forget the influence that not one or two enthusias- 
tic friends of this beloved man felt in that hour, but that was 
felt by all the people. As he lay there, elevated above a little 
bed upon which they had laid him, it seemed as though he 
was still living. Indeed, you will remember, some of you that 
heard him on his last visit that he said: "They will tell you 
that D. L. Moody is dead, but do not believe it, he will always 
be living, he will always be around." But one could hardly 
look at him and believe that he was other than asleep. The 
same kind fellow not a wrinkle upon his face, beautiful, and it 
seemed as though the sway that he had over great audiences 
when he stood before them still went out from him as he lay 
there in the presence of the people. And with those precious 
words that were spoken twilight fell upon the people, and then 
the halt, the family leaving, and being met on the outside by 
thirty-two students, and then they brought the casket and 
the bier, a long platform covered with flowers; then these 
young fellows came out, sixteen on each side, bearing him 
silently in the darkening of the night, the long procession of 
people following, with sobs, up to Round Top, the place he 
loved so much. O, how he loved this earth, and he would say 
so often, "The world is very good. The earth is a good 
place. I have had a very good time in it, but I have a great 



352 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

deal better time ahead." It was an exceedingly interesting 
thing to know how fond he was of the earth. He would often 
say, "No, I must hurry home in the autumn days, I want to 
see the brown earth before the snow covers the leaves." So 
this last time he hurried away after a meeting in the Wither- 
spoon Hall, where he gave the touch for the evangelistic ser- 
vices, starting on his visit to the schools, and then in the 
early part of November going to Kansas City. 

It does seem as though it was something like the departure 
of Elijah. He made a visit to the schools. Some of his 
friends wanted him to stay in the late autumn in the city, but 
no, he must visit the schools and see the brown earth before 
the snow came. Then he went off to the west to visit the 
churches, and on his way he stopped in Philadelphia to utter 
the great sighs that filled his heart, to show to friends the 
sign of tears when he said, "I would like before I die to be 
used of God to move one great city in the east." What was it 
Elijah said? "I must go to Gilgal and then to Jericho and 
then beyond Jordan." When we went home the night that 
he was in the city, after talking about the Philadelphia meet- 
ing, I said to some friends at my house: "Mr. Moody to- 
night seemed more pathetic than I ever saw him in his con- 
cern about a revival of religion in Philadelphia. He seemed 
to me as he talked along the streets, in his vehement earnest- 
ness to have a desire that it might be arranged that he could 
come and spend a winter in this city in the hope of another 
great revival. In that he seemed to me like the Prophet 
Elijah. 

AT THE GRAVE. 

At the parting, as I stood with the little family that had 
been kneeling by the grave, there were words said that led me 
to stay into the night and until the next morning, to have a 
little family talk, trying to think what will be the future and 
what will be done to keep the memory of our old friend green, 



AT THE FUNERAL— AN ADDRESS. 353 

and also as an encouragement in the triumph of a life so 
faithful. 

WITH THE FAMILY. 

I will give you just a few words that came from the lips of 
the woman that helped to make his life so great. Mrs. 
Moody herself, she and her boys, and the one girl, sat and 
told the story of those last hours. How the father said again 
and again, "It is easy to go away, but for you, but for you; 
seeing that there is no dark valley." And he mentioned one 
of the children by name, something that was very sweet, at 
which some people will wonder, saying, "We shall know those 
that have gone on." This dear man was permitted to see the 
children and grandchildren, and to come back and tell about 
it. I can see the radiant face of dear Mrs. Moody as she 
said, "Don't you think that God gave him that blessing that 
he might return and speak to us?" "Father," Will said, "cer- 
tainly died three times, and he came back twice to tell us it 
was not hard to die; to tell us that he had seen heaven; to tell 
us that he had seen our family." 

O, dear friends, God does not forget those that have trusted 
him. Is there anything to compare to what has been vouch- 
safed to this great old soldier, this great captain, of the Imper- 
ial Guard of the Master, from first to last in his battle of life? 

A PICTURE. 

I want you to take the picture of that little simple home, 
filled with brightness because of the faith of that family bereft, 
and because of what they had been permitted to see in the 
sunset of that glorious life which we are contemplating. I 
have thought so often, as I have gone along day after day, 
up to Round Top where we left him, that it was something 
like this, that old cathedral in Venice, where behind the great 
altar the alabaster columns stand,that seemingly are unim- 
portant to look at, but when some hand with a lighted taper 
stands behind them, shine with crystal and tint and color, 
23 



354 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

until the very light of the morning seems to be shining 
through them, the rays of the sunset, the gorgeous coloring 
that comes in the even-time. So Mr. Moody, like a great 
alabaster column, dull and dark in itself, by the power of the 
light of an unseen hand is so beautiful that we stand with 
Wonder and joy in the beholding. 

FINNEY, WHITEFIELD AND WESLEY. 

It seemed that Mr. Finney had come back again, that 
George Whitefield was living again, that one could look into 
the face of John Wesley, and in many respects he was like 
him, in his simplicity, in his wonderful common sense, in his 
magnificent power of attention to details. He would have 
been one of the most superb business men, in my judgment, 
if it had been the providence of God to lead him into business. 
As you looked up into his face you were in the presence of 
majesty, and it showed you a great character. Someone says 
that we shall never see the like of him again. Why, it would 
be as impossible, speaking from a human standpoint, to re- 
place D. L. Moody, as it would be to replace Abraham Lin- 
coln. These two men, as Dr. Cuyler has said, will stand 
before the American people, aye, before the whole world, as 
two of the greatest characters of the century. None of us 
can lay to-night at his feet a tribute that rises to the desire of 
our hearts, because he was so much a blessing to every one 
who had the privilege of knowing him. 




© 



How Northfield Seminary Originated. 

By Ira D. Sankey. 

N our return from the old country, Mr. Moody was 
spending a few months at home; one day was 
out riding in his little buggy, a neat one-horse 
carriage that he drove around the country, 
and he was seen to drive away up onto 
one of the mountain tops around his home, and it seems that 
after arriving near the top of the mountain he came across a 
little farmhouse, with a very few acres of land, and indica- 
tions of great poverty. There on that barren mountain he 
found a family that he had known as a boy when he used to 
climb about the mountains yonder near his home. He 
hitched his horse to the fence and went in to greet his old 
friend. He found the father lying on a bed of sickness, and 
in another part of the building was the mother also lying in 
bed with a very serious illness. After greeting them, he sat 
down and began to talk with them a little while and as he was 
talking, the two girls, daughters of the family, came into the 
room carrying a large bundle of willows they had gathered 
in the valley of the Connecticut, and they sat down and began 
the operation of making little willow baskets, and Mr. Moody 
became very much interested in these two young women thus 
engaged, and he said to them, "Well, what is your object in 
life? What are you going to do?" Well, they said they would 
'ike to get an education, if they could. "We have a good cors- 
mon school education, now, but if we could get a good edu- 
cation we would be able, possibly, to earn money enough to 
support our parents, who are so poor, by teaching but as it is 
now, Mr. Moody, our time is all taken up in Just trying to 
make a little money to keep the family along in this way, as 
you see." 



356 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

Mr. Moody thought a few moments and then he said, "Let 
us pray," and kneeling down beside that poor old man, and 
leaning his arm on the bedside, he prayed that God might 
spare their lives, and that God might open a way by which the 
family might be helped, and when the prayer was ended he 
bid them good-bye, and he went and got in his buggy and 
started down the mountain, and he told me one day, a month 
after that, he said: "Mr. Sankey, before I reached the foot of 
the mountain, God had made it very clear to me what I should 
do to help these two young women and all young women of 
New England similarly situated that have character and abili- 
ty and no money with which to get an education;" and by the 
time he reached his home the matter of the Farm School for 
such girls was fully evolved in his mind, and he went on to 
build not long after that. I remember very well the day when 
yonder in the streets of Northfield, under the beautiful elm 
trees, the foundation of that first building in connection with 
the school was laid. Mr. Durand, whom many of you gen- 
tlemen remember, the great lawyer of Boston, the founder of 
Wellesley College, was there as an invited guest. Mr. Moody 
having lived in his house and home during some time in 1876, 
in Boston, he came up to help Mr. Moody lay this foundation 
stone, and the corner stone of the building, and a little inci- 
dent occurred which I will tell you about, which moved the 
hearts of all present. After Mr. Durand and others had 
spoken, it became the duty of Mr. Moody to lay this corner- 
stone, and he got up on the platform and made a little address 
and holding up before the audience a beautiful silver trowel 
with some writing on it. he said, "My friends have secured 
this beautiful trowel with which to lay this stone, but it is 
rather too beautiful for that purpose, and I will not use such 
an instrument. Yesterday I went up to my mother's house," 
pointing over his shoulder to his mother's home, within a 
little distance from where he stood and he said: "I went up 
into the garret of my mother's home and I looked around in 



HOW NORTHFIELD SEMINARY ORIGINATED. 357 

the old garret where I used to romp and play about as a boy, 
and there I found this trowel," holding up an old trowel in 
his hand. "This is my father's trowel. He used to earn the 
bread for the family by this instrument. It is a little worn 
and rusty, but it is quite good enough to lay this corner- 
stone," and he went to work and laid it with the trowel his 
father had used forty years ago. And God blessed the laying 
of that stone and to-day, I suppose, there is a million dol- 
lars' worth of property on those hills. They have followed 
up the building with other buildings in which they give a free 
invitation to young women and young men who have charac- 
ter and ability, but no money. 




^> 



Lessons from Mr. Moody's Character and 
Career. 

By Rev. Stephen W. Dana, D.D. 

HIRTY years ago the Rev. Dr. Thomas Guthrie 
was the most popular preacher in Scotland. As he 
neared the end he said to his children that he de- 
sired no words of praise on his tombstone, but 
that he would like something that would attract 
the passers-by and turn their thoughts Heavenward. So, on 
the marble there was chiseled these majestic words of Amo»: 
"Seek Him that turneth the shadow of death into the mort*- 
i/ig; the Lord is His name." 

We are now called to commemorate the life of one who, 
in the name of God has had the high mission of turning multi- 
tudes from "The shadow of death into the morning." Aside 
from half a dozen men distinguished in military and naval cir- 
cles, no man in America was so widely known both in the 
United States and across the water, as Dwight L. Moody. 
No one was remembered more gratefully for blessings re- 
ceived. Judged by all Biblical standards he was a great man. 
He had those elements of leadership which would have placed 
him at the front whatever might have been his chosen occu- 
pation. But he had the Master's test of greatness; he came 
"not to be ministered unto, but to minister." 

It was not my privilege to know Mr. Moody intimately. I 
in common with other pastors of this city, worked with him 
in those great meetings in '76. I have met him several 
times, but enjoyed no intimacy with him. Tt is not my 
privilege, therefore, to deal in reminiscence, nor is it my pur- 
pose to speak with any fulness of his life. I do desire, however, 
to draw some lessons from his character and career, which I 
trust may be helpful to ali. 



LESSONS FROM HIS CHARACTER AND CAREER. 359 

The first which I mention was his high undivided purpose. 
So far as we can discover by word and act, his master pas- 
sion was to win men to Christ and train them for Christian 
sendee. What surprises us was the intensity and enthusi- 
asm with which he adhered to this high purpose to the last. 
Unfortunately, many run well for a time. They have un- 
daunted zeal for a few years and then they slacken. So 
many ministers and evangelists fail short of their highest be- 
cause they stop midway in their career, losing that intensity 
of fervor which characterized them at the beginning of their 
ministry. Many evangelists for example, prepare a set of 
sermons which they go about delivering in different places, in 
the same language, in the same tone, voice and gestures, and 
the result is they become stereotyped, mechanical and unin- 
teresting. They stop reading, studying, thinking, and it is a 
clear case of arrested development, and the result is they are 
shorn of their power and their last days are by no means their 
best days. With Mr. Moody there was no dead line of fifty; 
he was a man of faith, of prayer and zeal to the end, and we 
should all agree that the last ten years were the most faithful 
and far reaching in their influence of any period of his life. 

If we desire ourselves to know how to keep up this enthu- 
siasm we shall find it by examining the word itself, which 
means literally "God within us." Mr. Moody kept God with- 
in him and this it was that sustained him to the end. 

The second characteristic of the man which I mention was 
his growth by use of talents which he had. He consecrated 
all his gifts and capacities unto God. There are many per- 
sons who waste their days in wishing they were some one else 
and because they cannot do what they think to be a great 
thing, they will do nothing for the Master. 

When young Moody came into Boston he was a verdant 
farmer's boy with no knowledge of the world or of society, 
and when received into the church neither his pastor, the 
famous Dr. Kirk, nor his Sunday school teacher Mr. Kimball, 



360 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

known as the "great debt raiser," had any expectation that 
this young man was to rise to any distinction in the Christian 
church. But, he at once went to work for Christ, at Boston, 
and a little later at Chicago. He did not feel competent to 
teach, but he gathered in scholars for the Sunday school. 
When he took a class of these ingathered children he felt the 
need of study to prepare himself for that great work. From 
that hour on the Bible was the great book to him. He began 
to speak at evening meetings and to take part in the Young 
Men's Christian Association. He had the gift of oratory, and 
though he never acquired the power always to speak gram- 
matically, yet he used forceful English, always was in dead 
earnest, and every one was convinced of the sincerity of his 
convictions. 

What I want to emphasize just here is that Mr. Moody did 
not rise up by leaps and bounds, and did not become such a 
power in swaying thousands at once. He was willing to ac- 
cept and utilize the day of feeble beginnings. He gained by 
giving; grew stronger by consecrating and utilizing what he 
had unto God. 

The third noticeable characteristic in the man was his 
teachable spirit, his open eyed vision, his readiness to change 
with changing conditions. This is noticeable in the great 
educational work with which he had identified himself. Peo- 
ple generally think of him only as an evangelist; but, unless 
I am mistaken, twenty-five years hence he will be remem- 
bered more as an educator than as a preacher to the masses. 

He had not been long in his career before he felt that an 
evangelist's work must be supplemented by teaching and 
training. The object of evangelists is to bring persons to 
decide for Christ, then as disciples they must be taught and 
trained. He had a success among students, among colleges 
and universities in this country, in Scotland and in England, 
which led him to feel a deep interest in them. His interest 
in education is marked in several different ways. 



LESSONS FROM HIS CHARACTER AND CAREER. 361 

(a) He came to have an annual gathering of students for 
conference at Northfielci; representatives came from a large 
number of colleges in our own country and other countries. 
Fired by his presence and by the speakers that he gathered 
around him, these young men went back to their several col- 
leges and universities and became centers of spiritual power. 
No small share of the good work in our higher educational 
institutions during the last ten years is traceable to these con- 
ferences. 

(b) He established the Bible Institute at Chicago, the pur- 
pose of which was to train lay workers for intelligent Chris- 
tian service. 

(c) He had also great religious conferences at Northfield, 
the object of which was to strengthen and deepen the piety of 
believers, making them more effective Christian witnesses. 

(d) There was also the gathering of young women of dif- 
ferent educational institutions somewhat similar to the con- 
ferences of college men. 

(e) And last of all, and more enduring than all are the 
schools which he established at Northfield and Mt. Hermon, 
where about six hundred pupils are now being educated at a 
moderate sum, all of them under decided Christian influence. 

The last thing that I shall mention is the fact that he had 
such a sterling Christian character and retained his good 
name unto the last. He did not live for display, or fame, or 
money. There are many ways in which he could have ac- 
quired a large fortune had he chosen, but like the apostle he 
was continually saying, "This one thing I do." His master 
passion, of which I have spoken, remained uppermost to the 
last. We used to think that if persons had well established 
Christian principles at twenty-one, they were safe unto the 
end; but, as we have seen so many men, ministers, evangel- 
ists and laymen who after a long career of Christian activity 
in the church of God, go down after fifty or sixty, that it be- 
comes us all to be watchful and prayerful unto the end. Life 



362 D WIGHT L. MOODY. 

has its perils from infancy until old age. Moody was not 
shorn of his power on account of anything which brought 
disgrace to the cause of Christ or by a series of foolish utter- 
ances or acts which deprived him of his influence. Many 
were not attracted to him. Many did not care to hear him 
preach. But those who differed from him most widely in 
his teaching and in his methods honored him as a man and 
believed that he was a true servant of God. 

Fortunately, all the characteristics which I have mentioned, 
his high, undivided purpose, his consecration of all the talents 
that he had unto God, and his growth through their use, his 
teachable spirit, his willingness to adapt himself to changed 
conditions and his high sterling character, are traits which 
every one can imitate and which every one ought to emulate. 





Mr. Moody's Sincerity. 

By Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins. 

T DOES not seem to me that it is altogether a sorrow- 
ful time when we meet together around the grave. 1 
love to think that we are gathered around the throne 
of God in heaven and looking into the face of the 
Father and hearing the welcome, and knowing that 
this is not all of life, that we are to live hereafter, and hoping 
and praying that a certain portion of His spirit may fall upon 
us. Even if he was Elijah, it is a fitting promise then that 
God will look upon us as Elisha and that we may look upon 
him as he goes up into heaven and that we may receive a 
measure of his spirit. What is the spirit saying? It is the 
spirit that answers. He was a perfect man. He could not 
bear anything that was insincere. The version of the word 
applied to him pre-eminently/'The pure in heart they shall see 
God." Purity was one of the special characteristics of Mr. 
Moody, and another thing was his transparentness. There 
are a great many people in this world of a mixed character. 
There are a great many people in this world who act from 
mixed motives. Mr. Moody was absolutely sincere, abso- 
lutely pure-minded, absolutely true, and therefore he saw 
God. This sincerity of his, dear friends, enabled him first to 
believe in a sincerity of God, and the power of his preaching, 
it seems to me, pre-eminently, was that he had knowledge, 
and was indued with the spirit of God and was a man of God, 
so it was nothing to him when he read God's word, he would 
simply say, 'Thus saith the Lord," and he would act upon it, 
and bid others to act upon it. You know how, in those crowd- 
ed meetings, when sinners were touched at heart, he would 
say to them simply, "The Lord says he will forgive you." 



364 DWIGIIT L. MOODY. 

He had no doubt about God's word, and he wished to impress 
upon them the certainty of the fact, he believed in the cer- 
tainty of God. He says, "Do we believe in it? Do we 
really read the word of God with a desire to impress its 
truthfulness on our own hearts?" As he was true to himself 
he was true to God, and believed in Him. He tells us of the 
necessity that the churches should be sincere. He could have 
very little patience with a great deal of church life because 
he recognized its insincerity, he recognized its formality, he 
recognized that many churches in the community were places 
where the spirit of God never entered. You remember about 
the church in Boston, we will say it was a Boston church, it 
would not do to say it was a Philadelphia church, where a 
man desired to enter the church, to join it as a member, and 
he was not very wealthy, he was not very polished in his man- 
ners, and the people in the church thought they would rather 
not have him as a member; but he continued to knock at the 
door of the trustees, and they told him there was no vacancy 
just then, and he was told to come back after he had talked 
with God about it. He kept on, his mind filled with deter- 
mination to join that church, and he came back and said to 
the trustees that he wished to enter the church. They said 
to him, "Did you talk to God about it?" He said, "Yes, I 
did." "What 'did the Lord say?" "The Lord said He had 
been trying to get into that church for about six years, and 
He would be very glad if I could get in." 

I think that Mr. Moody recognized that in so many of our 
churches there is a lot of insincerity. That the church is 
nothing but a poor miserable church club. That's the reason 
that Mr. Moody spoke so many times of reviving the churches 
so that the church would do God's work; that the church must 
stand where it professed to stand; that it must do God's work 
sincerely and not loosely. This sincerity of his made him 
believe in the influence of every man, and in the importance 
of every man being sincere. He preached the necessity of 



MR. MOODY'S SINCERITY. 365 

morality, the necessity of faith, and more than all he preached 
the necessity of the honesty of the individual man in his rela- 
tion to God. He did not believe in keeping anything back, or 
in concealing anything, so that he could look honestly into 
the divine, open face of God. 

The sincerity in his own nature made him believe in God's 
truthfulness, made him believe in the necessary purity of the 
church members and made him believe in the influence of 
purity and truthfulness of every individual member. I hope 
every one will take in these thoughts of the necessity of sin- 
cerity and truthfulness and purity before God, so that hence- 
forth they will strive by the grace of God, above all else, for 
sincerity, for pure-heartedness, for honesty of purpose, hon- 
esty of life before God; nothing kept back, nothing concealed, 
which shall make us believe that God means what he says, 
which will make us believe that the church must be what she 
pretends to be, which will make us believe that we ourselves 
can receive God's blessing by appearing before him pure 
hearted. 




9f 



My Last Talk with Moody. 

By Wayland Hoyt, D.D. 

HE last talk I had with Mr. Moody was but a few 
weeks before he died; but a few days before his 
last great mission in Kansas City. Had I thought 
of it as the last, I had more perfectly treasured it, 
but how frequently it happens that we do not, at 
the time of them, rightly estimate our best treasure. 

I was making my way to address a Christian Endeavor 
Convention in Windsor, Vermont. In the depot at Spring- 
field, Mass., I met Mr. Moody. There, and for some time 
thereafter in the train, our talk went on. This was the first 
lesson his talk taught me — tirelessness in the Master's ser- 
vice. He was telling me how he was just coming from a two 
weeks' daily singing and preaching in New York and Brook- 
lyn, and instead of thinking of resting a little, all his thought 
was about when best, and how quickly, he could plunge into 
further service. I thought the question, though I did not ask 
it, "Do you never rest?" 

I think Mr. Moody stands before us as a splendid instance 
of a sturdy tirelessness. Does not his life come closest to the 
strenuous urgency of the Master when He said, ""fly meat is 
to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work." 
Back there in those early years in Chicago, those four pews 
hired in the church he joined, and by his efforts kept steadily 
full of young men; that Sunday school established by him 
in the Chicago slums, and the Tabernacle which came out of 
it; that swift re-building of the Tabernacle in the heart of the 
foundations of the burnt district, though his own home had 
gone up in the flames; the personal, persistent preaching to 
men and women about the Lord Jesus as we meet them 
along the ways of the daily life; that earnest and quick seizure 



MY LAST TALK WITH MOODY. 367 

of new methods through which to urge on the Master's cause, 
like that first Christian convention in Boston; the great 
meetings which began to grow up around him on both sides 
of the Atlantic; his helping hand to the Young Men's Chris- 
tian Associations everywhere; the summer meeting at North- 
jfield; the schools at Northfield; in and up to and into the 
last great meeting at Kansas City — where the untiring war- 
rior was stricken — tirelessness for Christ; that trumpet call 
sounds to all of us from Mr. Moody's life. 

I would we might all listen to it. I would we might all catch 
at least some of the contagion of that Christian energy. If 
we did, if such infection were wide spread, nothing could 
stand before the church of Christ, the land would be shaken 
with revival, the millennium would not be distant. 

Another lesson taught me by that last talk with Mr. Moody 
was: Upon what to put main emphasis. I shall never forget 
a remark he dropped. He was speaking of a difficulty which, 
especially in these later years, was confronting him. This 
was the difficulty: The crowding to his meetings of the pro- 
fessedly Christian people and the thereby shutting him 
away from access to the emburdened people, to those who dii 
not spiritually know the Lord. This was the remark he 
made, "My reputation is my hindrance." I am sure Mr. 
1 Moody valued his reputation as every true man ought. But 
the' remark revealed the beauty and deep self sacrifice and 
humility of Mr. Moody. The place which the Christian 
should always put main emphasis, viz.: not on himself, but 
rather and always on his Lord and his Lord's cause and work. 
I am entirely sure Mr. Moody would have at once and gladly 
forgone his own vast reputation for the sake of winning souls 
to Jesus. Such ought to be our spirit — the lesser thought 
ourselves, the overtopping thought, our Lord and our Lord's 
work. Dr. Trumbull tells how in Moody's earlier days, in 
Chicago an over zealous critic who was not an over active 
worker, took Moody to task for his defects in speech. 



368 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"You oughtn't to attempt to speak in public, Moody. You 
make many mistakes in grammar." 

"I know I make mistakes," said Moody, "and I lack a great 
many things; but I'm doing the best I can with what I've got. 
But, look here, my friend, you've got grammar enough ; what 
are you doing with it for Jesus?" 

Another lesson that last talk with Mr. Moody taught me 
was his invincible faith in Jesus Christ and in Him only, as 
the world's hope and Savior. "Did you ever know so many 
isms?" he said, "Theosophism, Christian scienceism, etc.?" 

But the one thing he was as hungry to do then, as he had 
been from the earliest days of his Christian career, was where- 
ever possible, and as wisely as possible, and the best he could, 
to preach Jesus Christ. This was burning in him in those last 
days and with undiminished flame; and as he left me to leave 
the train, to tell of Jesus to the girls in Mt. Holyoke Sem- 
inary, I felt myself girded with a stronger purpose to give 
myself to the telling of Jesus Christ. 

May the great example and vast genius of Mr. Moody in 
doing this, make us all, and impel us all, to the doing likewise 
and more earnestly and steadily than we ever have before. 





Dwight L. Moody as a Man. 

By Kerr Boyce Tupper, D.D., LL.D. 

F we could transfer ourselves back two hundred years 
in the world's history and stand, on July loth, 
1686, in Notre Dame, in Paris, we should find the 
great cathedral presenting a grand and august 
scene. Within its aisles are gathered the bravest 
men and the fairest women of France. It is a notable day in 
French history. To the sorrow of the nation a distinguished 
statesman has died, an heroic warrior, the Prince of Conde; 
and his funeral services are holding. The orator of the 
occasion is Bossuet, the eminent and eloquent chaplain of 
Louis XIV court. He stands over the bier a moment, mo- 
tionless and silent. He is overcome by the grandeur of the 
occasion and the nobleness of the life which he is about to 
portray. At last, with deep emotion, he speaks, and these 
are the memorable words with which he introduces his match- 
less oration: "At the moment that I open my lips to celebrate 
the immortal glory of Louis Bourbon, Prince of Conde, I 
find myself equally overwhelmed by the greatness of the sub- 
ject, and, if I may avow it, by the uselessness of the task. For 
what part of the habitable world has not heard of the victories 
of this prince and the wonders of his life?" 

So, as I endeavor to pay an humble tribute to him of 
whom we all think this hour, the impulse of my heart is to 
reiterate, with appropriate change, the words of the distin- 
guished court preacher of the seventeenth century: At the 
moment I open my lips to celebrate the memory of Dwight 
L. Moody — citizen, philanthropist, Christian, man — I find 
myself impressed with both the greatness of the subject and 
the uselessness of the task. For what part of the Christian 
world has not heard of his name and fame, his gifts and 
24 



tfO DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

graces, his power and possessions, his worth and work. And 
who of us that knew him feels not the inclination to say to- 
day: The world was richer when he was born, better while he 
lived, and sadder since he has gone. His warm heart, his 
genial smile, his strong, clear intellect, his uncompromising 
fidelity to convictions, his pure private life, his unselfish pub- 
lic service, his firm, unwavering devotion to Jesus Christ as 
Sovereign and Savior — these are virtues our whole nation 
delights to recall to-day in connection with this child of God, 
this brother of man, this heir of immortality. Of such a one 
as Dwight L. Moody we may not say "He is dead;" only 
"Emigravit," he has emigrated — translated to a fairer, sweet- 
er clime. 

A special aspect of Mr. Moody's career would I emphasize 
for a moment, and that a most attractive aspect, namely his 
manliness. Manliness is what one weighs morally, what he 
can lift morally, what he can do morally. It is the substance 
of life when the chaff has been blown away. It is devotion to 
right in a large way and on a generous scale. It stands ever 
upon the platform of a broad and generous self respect. It is 
based upon a high and reverent sense of the inherent dignity 
of manhood as in itself and everywhere the noblest work of 
God on earth. In short, manliness is that which lies at the 
base of true character — that which character requires to 
round itself out with, fill itself Up with, make itself complete. 
Mr. Moody had that which is more than titles or position, 
eloquence or wealth; a royalty which will newer wane nor 
fade, a sovereignty that will continue to be found f trever; 
that possession of character which abides ewer in the world's 
memory and the world's love — that thing we call character, 
manhood, manliness, manfulness. Above all, our brother 
was a Christian man, 

A SPIRITUALLY MINDED MAN. 

This was his richest quality — a quality without which all 
his genius would have been a fatal gift, all his talent a hoi- 



DWIGHT L. MOODY AS A MAN. 371 

low unveracity, all his eloquence a glittering sham. Inter- 
woven in his being were such qualities as majesty, nobility, 
purity, sympathy, self-sacrifice, and these; daily revealed, 
ever presenting an image of beautiful proportion and after a 
Heavenly Original. 

The fact is the man v/as genuine through and through, 
natural, unaffected, beautifully sincere, an approach to that 
ideal character which the poet describes as "the white flower 
of a blameless life." Light is never so intense as when re- 
flected; the gospel is never so mighty as when exemplified, 
and our brother exemplified the gospel as well as preached 
it. He not simply promulgated the doctrine of the beauty 
of holiness and the divineness of services, but he incarnated it. 
I heard him once say that a man is a Christian not in propor- 
tion to the truth he put into his belief, but in proportion to 
the truth he put into his life. He was himself the living 
illustration of the exalted principles of the gospel of Christ. 
He matched his sermons with services, his creed with charac- 
ter, his doctrines with doing. As has been said of another, it 
may be said of him: He had three great aims in his ministry: 
The first, to spiritualize himself; the second, to idealize his 
people; the third, to scripturalize his sermons. More than 
those who knew him not intimately realized, our consecrated 
brother, believing that piety within must precede growth 
without, would spend hour after hour weekly in looking into 
himself; would retire into solitude and hold dialogues with 
his soul; would pour out his heart in earnest, agonizing 
prayer to God for deeper, fuller, more devoted life; and thus 
living in the very atmosphere of heaven the sunshine and 
showers from above matured the fruits and blossoms of his 
graces into fruit fit for the golden garners of immortality it- 
self. And fresh from these communions in God he would 
plunge into the preparation of some earnest discourse, or go 
out to cheer and comfort some sorrow-stricken soul. 

Characteristically, Mr. Moody was a man who believed in 



372 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

God's word as the infallible revelation of the Eternal God. The 
Bible was to him oracle of faith, manual of devotion, charter 
of liberty and inspiration of life. He had no sympathy with 
the fine intellectual dreamers of our day who delight to at- 
tack every precious article of our evangelical faith; to grind 
down smooth all sharp Bible differences respecting sin and 
salvation; to evaporate sin into an inexcusable infirmity, and 
even weave the shroud for the soul's career in a hopeless 
grave. All these things our Bible-loving and Christ-extoll- 
ing brother flung away from his mind with a Pauline God- 
forbid. For popularity he never sacrificed an iota of reli- 
gious conviction of faith. The old, old gospel in the old, old 
Book, told in the old, old way — this was his delight; his 
strength; his inspiration. His motto was the Bible as God 
gave it — no addition to it, no substraction from it, no altera- 
tion in it. He believed in a Bible uncovered by human ritual, 
untainted by human tradition. 

And then Mr. Moody was always true 

TO JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. 

He seemed to be constantly saying, with Dr. Payson, "I be- 
seech you, brethren, paint Jesus Christ upon your canvass 
and then hold it up for the applause of your admiring world;" 
and to feel with Bourdaloue, who, when told by Louis XIV 
that all the world was moved by his eloquence and learning, 
humbly expressed the wish that all the praise which his elo- 
quence and learning evoked might be hung as a garland on 
the cross of Calvary; and to be ready with one of the conse- 
crated fathers of the early Christian church to exclaim, 
"Were the highest heaven my pulpit and the whole host of the 
redeemed my audience, and eternity my day, Jesus alone 
would be my theme." Well was it so. The message of the 
pulpit should be characteristically and invariably Christo- 
centric — Christ the God, Christ the Man, Christ the God- 
man, the dying Christ, the risen Christ, the reigning Christ; 



DWIGHT L. MOODY AS A MAN. 373 

Christ the end of the law to every one that believeth. Of all 
the themes that inspire human hearts and fire human lips, 
this alone is sufficient to magnify the name of God, exalt the 
Divine Son, convict and convert human souls and transform 
a Paradise Lost with all its blight and woe into a Paradise 
Regained, with all its celestial songs and eternal triumphs; 
and prompted by this conviction — nay, held by it as yon 
planet is held in its orbit by the law of gravity — each ambas- 
sador of Christ should, with his face turned to his Master, lift 
the prayer 

In offering thy salvation free 

Let all absorbing thought of Thee 
My mind and soul engross; 

And when all hearts are moved and stirred 

Beneath the influence of Thy word, 
Hide me behind Thy cross! 
Christ! Christ! Not ethics, nor moral philosophy, nor 
astronomy, nor geology; nor history; nor political economy, 
but Christ on Calvary's summit; the centre of humanity's 
highest hopes, noblest aspirations and divinest life. As Fra 
Angelico, the saintly Italian painter, would never go to his 
palette and brush to do work on the figure of Jesus without 
first partaking of the communion, so let us brethren of the 
ministry, like Mr. Moody, precede our pulpit duties by a 
prayerful visit to Calvary and its cross. 





The Man and His Message. 

By Rev. A. C. Dixon. 

(A sermon delivered in Brooklyn, N. Y., from the text: 
"Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of 
that man is peace." — Psalm 37:37.) 

N a magazine article several years ago Henry Drum- 
mond declared that Moody was the greatest man this 
century had produced, and the closer one came to him, 
and the more carefully he was studied, the firmer be- 
came the conviction that Drummond was right. First 
of all, D. L. Moody was 

AN HONEST MAN. 

He hated shams. He could not bear pretence. The first 
question he asked about everything was, "Is it right? Will 
Christ approve it?" He would do nothing that he did not 
believe to be right before God, and when he decided that a 
course was right, the consciousness of its righteousness 
caused him to throw all the energy of his great soul and vigor- 
ous body into it. And his uprightness caused him to be 
upright and downright. D. L. Moody was 

A HUMBLE MAN. 

He never boasted of his own powers. In early life he was in- 
formed that he had nothing to boast of. When he talked in 
prayer meetings his friends approached him and urged him 
to remain silent, for they thought he had no gift of public 
speech. This early discouragement may have had something 
to do with his self-depreciation, but I think that the secret of 
his humility was largely in the fact that he always had on 
hand great enterprises for God. He was not easily satisfied. 
What had been done was only the stepping stone to greater 
achievement. When a man becomes satisfied with what he 



THE MAN AND HIS MESSAGE. 375' 

has done in life, he is apt to grow, proud of it. But Moody 
always stood in the presence of a great unfinished work. The 
magnitude of it made him look away from himself to God. His 
great heart took in the United States and the world. He 
prayed for a revival in the nation. When he came into a city, 
its millions of souls burdened his heart. He loved crowds be- 
cause crowds gave him a great opportunity for doing good. 
A thousand conversions filled him with joy, but he could not 
be content with a thousand when there were hundreds of thou- 
sands still unsaved. Great preacher as he was, he was never 
satisfied with his sermons, because there was in his mind an 
ideal higher than anything he had ever reached. D. L. Moody 
was 

A SPIRITUAL MAN. 

He dwelt in the secret place of the Most High. He was pow- 
erful in public prayer, but he was most powerful when with a 
few friends, perplexed and burdened about the work on hand, 
he would pour out his heart in confession and petition. He 
loved Keswick brethren and doctrines because they dealt with 
the deep things of God. He went to his Bible for soul food. 
He walked and talked with God. He was a lover of spiritual 
men. No word of cant ever fell from his lips, but he did de- 
light in spiritual conversation. Dr. H. G. Weston, in his ad- 
dress at the funeral at Northfield, said that the secret of 
Moody's success would be found in the word life. He was 
truly alive. He had become a partaker of the divine nature, 
and this divine life dominated his whole being. The pastor 
spoke the truth when he said, "To this man the heavens were 
always full of chariots and horses of fire." He believed in 
things unseen and eternal. D. L. Moody was 

A PRACTICAL MAN. 

It was truly said of him, "he hitched his wagon to a star," but 
he kept the wheels on earth and its axles well oiled. He never 
made the mistake of the philosopher who, while gazing at 



376 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

the stars, fell into the ditch at his feet. He worked out his 
own salvation with fear and trembling, while God worked with 
him to will and to do. Enthusiasm never ran away with his 
judgment. There was in him the spirit of wisdom as well as 
of revelation. He was noted for his common sense. 
D. L. Moody was 

A HOPEFUL MAN. 

I never saw him discouraged. If he was, he never mentioned 
it. To him better times were always ahead. His face was to- 
ward the sunrise. He looked not at the darkness, but the 
stars. He gazed not on the clouds, but on the rainbow. His 
hope was in God, and there was nothing too great for his God. 
D. L. Moody was 

A BRAVE MAN. 

God said to Joshua while he stood in the presence of danger, 
"Be of good courage," and the same God said to Solomon 
while he stood before great difficulties, "Be of good courage." 
It takes as great bravery to meet difficulty as danger. D. L. 
Moody would doubtless have been a brave soldier, going 
wherever duty called, but he was not called upon to do this. 
He did stand, however, frequently in the presence of great 
difficulties and they never made him quail. He could stand 
alone with God. He delighted in consultation with his 
brethren, and had an ear open to counsel, but his final decision 
was reached upon his knees, and, when he took a stand, noth- 
ing could move him. His denunciation of sin in high places 
brought upon him severe criticism, but he did not flinch; he 
simply repeated his charges with greater emphasis. He sought 
the favor and the praise of no man at the expense of con- 
science. He was popular with the rich and the poor, because 
in his preaching he sought to please no one but God. 
D. L. Moody was 

A GREAT MAN 

in the Christly sense. Jesus said, "If any one would be great 



THE MAN AND HIS MESSAGE. z77 

among you, let him become the servant of all," and the mis- 
sion of Moody was to serve. His love of Jesus was a passion, 
and he loved people because Jesus loved them. All he was 
and had was on the altar of sacrifice. He never spared him- 
self. No one who knew him ever accused him of seeking 
money for himself. He lived and died a poor man, while he 
raised and passed on millions for the uplifting of others. The 
fact that he was without early educational advantages led him 
to sympathize with poor young men and women, and to es- 
tablish colleges where they could secure education at small 
cost. A large book may be written on Moody as a builder. 
There is scarcely a large city in Christendom which has not 
some great building erected with money raised in response to 
his prayer and work. 

HIS MESSAGE. 
D. L. Moody was a prophet. He spoke for God. His 
message was the whole Bible. He believed it to be the Word 
of God. It was easy for him to accept its miracles, for the 
God who wrote the Book was equal to anything that it claimed 
for Him. Like Spurgeon he was never ordained by the lay- 
ing on of human hands. His ordination was of God. The 
hand of the Lord was upon him. He had no sympathy with 
the critics who tear the Bible to pieces. There were among 
them some of his friends, whom he loved in spite of their 
errors. But his friendship for them never made him swerve 
a particle from his loyalty to the Bible. He believed in God 
the Holy Spirit, who inspired men to write the Book, and who 
is with us ready to endue with power in preaching it. Moody 
did not despise other books, and he read more widely than 
some people suppose. But all other books compared with 
The Book were weak things. He was emphatically a man of 
one book, and because he honored God's word, God honored 
him. D. L. Moody had 

A MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT. 
He believed in sin as a guilty, polluting hell-deserving thing. 



378 DWIGIIT L. MOODY. 

He had no confidence in the flesh. Men out of Christ were 
lost for both worlds. He preached little about hell, not be- 
cause he did not believe in it, but because he believed that men 
could be saved from it through preaching the love of God in 
Jesus Christ. Knowing the terror of the soul he persuaded 
men. 
D. L. Moody had 

A MESSAGE OF SALVATION BY GRACE. 

He believed that sinners were saved by the unmerited favor 
of God. He magnified mercy. His was a gospel of blood. 
I heard him say that he once went to a place in Great Britain 
where he was told by one of the prominent preachers that it 
would never do for him to say much about blood in that place. 
Moody told him without hesitation that he would preach it 
in every sermon, and he magnified atonement through the 
blood until the whole town was shaken by the power of God. 
He frequently said that when a preacher ceased to preach the 
blood he began to be powerless in his ministry. The great ef- 
fort of his life was to induce sinners to take shelter under the 
blood. His sermons on the blood have won thousands to 
Jesus. He denounced as a fatal error the illusion that men 
can be saved by character without the blood of Christ. 
D. L. Moody brought to the world 

A MESSAGE OF REGENERATION. 

He magnified the work of the Spirit in the new birth. He was 
not a reformer; he thought little of the efforts at reforming 
society by program or law. With him the regeneration of the 
individual was everything. When men are saved they will 
become good citizens and good fathers. He believed with all 
his heart in instantaneous conversion. He declared that some- 
where between the top of that sycamore tree and the ground 
Zaccheus became a Christian. He emphasized the sudden 
conversion of the jailer, the eunuch, the 3,000 on the day of 
Pentecost. Indeed, he believed in no other kind of conver- 



THE MAN AND HIS MESSAGE. 379 

sion than that which comes suddenly; that it is not possible 
to cultivate the old nature into a state of grace; we must re- 
ceive the divine nature by act of faith. The proof of this re- 
ception may come gradually, but every one accepts Jesus at 
some definite time. 
D. L. Moody also had 

A MESSAGE OF SANCTIFICATION. 

He did not believe in sinless perfection or the eradication of 
the old nature, but he believed in the possibility of a victorious 
life. In talking with him one day about a brother who had 
proclaimed himself as sinless, he quietly replied: "He will soon 
find out his mistake." He was patient with people who held 
radical views about holiness, for he thought it was better to 
err on that side than on the other. He had no fear of being 
perfect, though he was sorry that he was imperfect. There 
was before him a high standard of Christly character, and al- 
ways conscious that he came short of it he strove every day 
to reach it. His great desire was to be a vessel cleansed by 
the Spirit through the Word, wholly set apart to the Master's 
use, and he came as near being a thoroughly sanctified man in 
the New Testament sense as any one I ever met. 
D. L. Moody brought to the Church of Christ 

A MESSAGE OF EVANGELISM. 

His was not a mystical religion, occupied with introspection 
and spiritual enjoyment. He believed in a spirituality that 
expresses itself in seeking that salvation of others. He had a 
passion for soul winning. In preaching to the unconverted he 
was always at his best. During the meeting in Grand Cen- 
tral Palace, New New, it was understood that the hall would 
be closed in the evening at ten o'clock, but Moody would be 
found at eleven and sometimes twelve talking to some poor 
burdened soul and striving to lead him into the light of sal- 
vation. His friends were then anxious about his health, and 
advised him to be careful, but, when there was an opportunity 



380 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

for pointing a soul to the Savior, he knew not how to be care- 
ful. He believed in education, but the consuming purpose of 
his life was evangelization. He looked upon anything else, 
however important, as incidental. When a church ceased to 
seek and save the lost he regarded it as fallen from its high 
mission. Like the Master he forgot the ninety-nine that were 
saved, and pressed after the one who was wandering. Oh, 
that the spirit and soul winning which inspired Moodv might 
enter the hearts of all the pastors and churches of our land; 
then would come such a revival as we have never seen before. 
D. L. Moody brought to the world 

A MESSAGE OF HOPE IN THE SECOND COMING OF 

CHRIST. 

He was no fanatic; he never set the time. He wanted to be 
found watching, waiting and working when the Lord should 
come. But he had the upward look. He fell into his grave 
while he was looking into the heavens for the returning King. 
It was the inspiration of his life. He built for time and for 
eternity, but he was willing that the Lord should come and set 
aside all his plans in the establishment of His Kingdom upon 
earth. He did not, however, disfellowship brethren who 
disagreed with him as to the premillenial return of the Lord. 
If a man was in right relation to Christ on Cavalry, and be- 
lieved the Bible, Moody gave him the hand of fellowship, 
whether he was post-millenialist or pre-millenialist. He did 
not believe these two schools of thought should be alienated 
because both of them are looking for the coming of Christ, 
though they may differ as to details. 

D. L. Moody brought to the weary, burdened toilers of 
earth 

A MESSAGE OF HEAVEN. 

He looked forward to its rest and its righteousness. He cared 
little for this world because he looked for "the city which hath 
foundation whose builder and maker is God." His citizen- 



THE MAN AND HIS MESSAGE. 381 

ship was in heaven. He loved his home and made it a little 
heaven on earth. His wife and children could hardly think 
of him as the great man that he was, he was so loving and gen- 
tle and tender. The home on earth he prized, but the home 
in heaven he prized more. The fallacy so prevalent that we 
should make the best of this world and leave heaven to take 
care of itself received no sympathy from him. His real 
world was ''the building of God, the house not made with 
hands eternal in the heavens." As friend after friend passed 
through the gates, he became more attached to the "Father's 
House." The death of his little grandchild broke his heart, 
while it brightened heaven and made him more willing to go. 

HIS LAST WORDS. 

will be immortal. "Earth is receding; heaven is opening; 
God is calling me. Do not call me back." What a commo- 
tion his entrance into heaven must have made. While on 
earth he preached with his voice to at least 100,000,000 of peo- 
ple, and through his pen to millions more. How many mil- 
lions have been saved through his life no one can tell, but cer- 
tainly he has received an abundant entrance into the city of 
life and light. He has seen the King in His beauty. The 
yearning in his soul that he might be like Him has been satis- 
fied. I cannot think of Moody in heaven as any other than a 
leader of men, a worker for Jesus. If there is a campaign for 
the glory of Christ he is at the head of it. In the closing 
words of Dr. Weston's address, "I would rather be D. L. 
Moody dead in his coffin than any other man living on earth." 






Mr. Moody's Impress on the Religious Life of 

Scotland. 

By John McMurtrie, D.D., of Edinburgh, Scotland. 



(f 



HE writer is one of the lessening band of ministers 
who had the privilege of helping and being helped 
by Mr. Moody on his first campaign in Scot- 
land, in 1873 and 1874. He claims no special 
acquaintance with the present state of the 
church beyond what may be due to the fact that his duties lead 
him to visit congregations and be the friend of ministers in 
many parts of Scotland. His experience in recent years is 
almost limited to the Church of Scotland, the established and 
largest church of the country. This latter consideration is 
not so disqualifying as might be supposed. A late Moderator 
of the General Assembly, Dr. Archibald Watson, of Dundee, 
used to say that our Scottish churches are not so many lakes 
shut off from each other, but inlets of the same sea, so that 
when the tide rises in one it rises in them all. He was think- 
ing mainly of currents of religious opinion; but it is equally 
true of spiritual impulse and modes of worship, and methods 
of work. 

Mr. Moody came at a fit time, when God had prepared the 
way — for many ministers had observed among their people 
an increase of interest in religion. The blessing came im- 
mediately, and more fully month by month, and it was so far 
from stopping when Mr. Moody and his honored co-evangel- 
ist, Mr. Sankey, departed, that the best of the work was then 
seen in the congregations of those ministers who sympathized 
with and guided the movement. In the following year a com- 
mittee of the Church of Scotland authorized by the General 
Assembly to make careful inquiry, reported thus : 



MOODY'S IMPRESS ON SCOTLAND. 383 

"It is no matter of theory, but a simple fact, that the Lord 
sent forth His Word with demonstration of the Spirit and with 
power, and that individuals, families and whole congregations 
are every day blessing Him for the light of the new life. It 
will be seen that in those cases the ordinary services of the 
church and the ministers of the gospel are more highly prized 
and more distinctly serviceable for the edifying of the body 
of Christ than they were before." 

A parish minister enumerates results, two of which may be 
quoted : — 

(1.) "A large increase in the number of young men who 
come to the Bible classes or join the fellowship association, 
and there being now no difficulty in getting well-qualified 
young men to be Sabbath school teachers. 

(2.) "Remarkable stedfastness on the part of those who ap- 
peared to be the subjects of special religious experience. I 
know of only one case of decided falling away, and I am not 
without hope even in regard to that case. With regard to not 
a few who are well known to me, I am able to testify not only 
that they are far happier than before, but that the change for 
the better which has come over their lives commends itself to 
all around them." 

FIVE YEARS AFTER THE CAMPAIGN 

a testimony of another kind comes before us. Dr. Marshall 
Lang, of Glasgow, well known on both sides of the Atlantic, 
writes in the "Catholic Presbyterian" for February, 1879: 

"The authorities in Glasgow have repeatedly acknowledged 
the social good accomplished by labors originated by the 
evangelistic work in 1874, and still carried on with vigor." 
And he makes his meaning plain, and shows at the same time 
that this is a result to be expected from a genuine revival, by 
quoting the address of an Irish county judge to a grand jury 
in the autumn of 1859. That judge was, of course, referring 
not to Mr. Moody's work, but to the earlier Irish revival. He 



384 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

said: "I am greatly struck at the appearance of this calendar, 
so small is the number of cases, when I formerly had calen- 
dars filled with charges for different nefarious practices. How 
is such a gratifying state of matters to be accounted for? It 
must be from the improved morality of the people. I believe 
I am fully warranted now to say that to nothing else than the 
moral and religious movement which commenced early last 
summer can the change be attributed." 
Mr. Moody has left 

HIS MARK ON SCOTTISH PREACHING. 

His way stood out in bold contrast to the common faults that 
make preaching of no effect. What are the faults that he has 
done something to amend? 

There is 'the preaching that has no gospel in it. The 
preacher has no message worth the trouble of delivery, and 
because he has nothing to do good to any soul, one wonders 
why the man ever desired to be a preacher, having so little to 
say. Alas! the race is not extinct. But find anywhere in 
Scotland a congregation on which manifestly rests the power 
of the Holy Ghost, and there you will find a minister who 
seems to cry with St. Paul, "Woe is unto me if I preach not the 
gospel." Mr. Moody had something to do with this. 

A higher class came about him a good deal — good men in 
doubt about many things, and too honest to preach what was 
not true to them. They soon found that they could not guide 
an anxious soul, in fact they were afraid to try. Not a few such 
men got down to the bed-rock of faith and have since been 
tenfold more useful. 

Very many sermons are ruined by the preacher's habit of 
discoursing about religous matters, but not speaking to the 
people. This Mr. Moody never did. He went straight for 
his hearers every time. In this regard there has been a dis- 
tinct improvement, to which, no doubt, various causes con- 
tributed — but Mr. Moody's example was contagious. 



MOODY'S IMPRESS ON SCOTLAND. 385 

One thing he helped almost to abolish was the wearisome 
introduction to sermons. Many more preachers now say at 
once what they have got to say, while their hearers are fresh 
and have not ceased to be expectant. 

Mr. Moody's 'teaching was intensely scriptural, and I do 
not think we have made progress in that respect. 

THE BIBLE WAS HIS WEAPON. 

He knew it, loved it, and would trust no other. His exposi- 
tion might sometimes show the absence of a scholar's train- 
ing, but it was immensely better than what I have heard from 
university men, who simply gathered fine thoughts around a 
text, without the slightest effort to tell the people what the 
writer of that sentence meant to say. His Bible readings were 
much blest and were imitated by many. But of late I do not 
hear of such attempts, and my impression is that there is de- 
cidedly less expository preaching in Scotland now than a 
quarter of a century ago. And this is regrettable. 

It is worthy of note that 

MR. SANKEY'S INNOCENT AMERICAN ORGAN. 

did more than anything else to popularize instrumental music 
in our Scottish churches. The organ was associated in 
Scotland with Anglicanism and ritualism, but Mr. Sankey's 
music conciliated the good people, who resigned themselves — 
with a sigh, if they were elderly folk — to enjoy and be helped 
by the organ. This recalls a curious controversy, to be found 
in two pamphlets which a bookseller's catalogue lately de- 
scribed as rare. They are before me now. The first is by 
Dr. Kennedy, of Dingwall, stern and saintly representative of 
the men of Ross, and is an attack on Moody's doctrine and 
Sankey's organ. It is painful reading, an unjust and indeed 
ignorant assault. The other is Dr. Horatius Bonar's reply, 
and is simply crushing, so far as Mr. Moody is concerned. But 
when he comes to the organ he only says: "I do not desire it, 
and I see no advantage in it. But after all it was a mere ap- 

2$ 



3^6 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

pendage to the proceedings and a very small one. Its pres- 
ence surely could not vitiate the whole work. We have not 
introduced it into our church services." Beloved Dr. Bonar! 
His own people did not even sing- hymns. His own beautiful 
hymns are dear to trie English-speaking race throughout the 
world, but I believe he never heard them sung in his own 
church. 

In the Church of Scotland a movement for the quickening 
of spiritual life and the better organization of Christian work 
had begun some years before this time. The workers felt the 
stimulus of the revival. The first report of the Christian Life 
and work Committee was presented to the General Assembly 
in 1870 by Dr. Charteris. At the present day that Committee 
reports 60,000 Guild members, an order of deaconesses in 
vigorous working, with training home and hospital, a maga- 
zine with a circulation of 109,000 monthly, and a large increase 
in evangelistic missions and mission preachers at home. 
Under another committee foreign missions have rapidly 
grown; and I take it that the Church of Scotland illustrates 
the progress which has been made in other churches also. 

One of the happiest features of Mr. Moody's work was too 
short lived, through no fault of the evangelist. The various 

CHURCHES WERE DRAWN TOGETHER, 
as if they might agree to forget the things that divide them. 
The present writer remembers reckoning that he had taken 
part in the special services of about forty congregations of 
the non-established churches in Edinburgh and the neighbor- 
hood; and in his own district of the city the ministers and con- 
gregations of four denominations were in the habit of meet- 
ing by turns in each others' churches. An attempt to dises- 
tablish and despoil the national church was a sorrowful inter- 
ruption. The question cannot be discussed here. "Let it suf- 
fice to say that if public co-operation became difficult, and 
sometimes impossible, in many cases the old brotherliness has 
never departed from the intercourse of private life. 




A Tribute From Glasgow. 

By Rev. John McNeill. 

(Delivered in St. Andrews Hall, Glasgow, on the Sabbath following 
Mr. Moody's death.) 

E are met to-night under the shadow of a great 
loss. God has taken home to Himself our be- 
loved brother, Mr. Moody. The great evan- 
gelist's death has created a profound impression 
on all our hearts, and I received the news with 
a shock that comes of a personal loss. The moment I read it 
in the newspaper the words leapt to my mouth, "My Father, 
my Father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." 
We feel, I feel, as if the Wellington of the Evangelistic Army 
had been taken from our head. When one begins to speak 
about Mr. Moody, one hardly knows where to strike in, and 
once he has broken in he does not know where to stop. On 
all sides of him he was a great man; he was a great man in all 
his measurements. He was 

GREAT AS A PREACHER. 

I have sometimes heard people say that they could not 
account for his success, because they did not see wherein he 
differed from other men as a preacher. I could not subscribe 
to that opinion. To me D. L. Moody was an immensely in- 
teresting preacher. He was no end of a preacher in resource- 
fulness, in what you might call tactics; that is, he always kept 
his audience at his finger ends, and yet was ever pressing 
with all his force for the one great mark to capture them for 
a waiting present Savior. 

I think he was not merely a preacher; he was an eloquent 
preacher. I did not hear him during his first visit to this 
country, when he and Mr. Sankey burst upon Scotland and 



388 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

carried it captive; and they have held it in their grip ever 
since. It was at Mr. Moody's second visit that I heard him, 
and yet some folks observed to me, 'You should have heard 
him during his first visit. Then you would have heard him 
at his best.' Well, I do not know what his best must have 
been. I remember hearing him when I was a student, a city 
missionary. It was in this very hall on a week-day afternoon 
that I sat to the left there. That plain, simple American rose 
up, there being nothing about him that suggested oratory in 
the academic sense; ah, but I shall never forget that first ad- 
dress of his. It was about Paul. Paul's motto was — 

'ONE THING I DO.' 

How he made Paul live before us! With what consummate 
skill he ran through Paul's history! He brought in Paul's 
persecutions, pointed to the time when they stoned him and 
left him for dead; and after they thought that they had 
wreaked their worst upon him, Paul recovered and pulled him- 
self together. His friends came round him and said: 'Now, 
Paul, you'll have some sense; you'll give up preaching whilst 
these fierce Jews are abroad.' And then he brought in with 
tremendous effect his great text — 'This one thing I do! Show 
me the road to the next town; I must preach Jesus Christ and 
Him crucified.' The thrilling effect on one hearer of that ser- 
mon can never be forgotten. 

Oh! Moody was a great preacher. Although he was un- 
trained, uneducated in our professional, theological, academic 
sense, in another sense he was educated. He was well de- 
scribed in that picture of the Apostles Peter and John. We 
are told that when the people saw they were unlearned and 
ignorant in the academical sense, they took knowledge of 
them that they had been with Jesus. But if the mark of great 
preaching be great success and gathering of great crowds, 
and bringing men to an intelligent decision for Christ, then 
Moody was one of the greatest preachers who ever lived. Then 



A TRIBUTE FROM GLASGOW. 389 

HE WAS A GREAT ORGANIZER. 

If he had never become a preacher he would have been at the 
head of some of those tremendous businesses in the United 
States, the facts and figures of which we read over here with 
wonder and almost incredulity. You remember that he was a 
clerk in a boot and shoe store when he was converted. He 
started to preach, and by and by he gave up his worldly em- 
ployment and took to preaching. If Moody had stuck to sell- 
ing boots and shoes, he would, at length, have been at the 
head of some gigantic boot and shoe combine that would have 
dominated the trade on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a 
tremendous organizer, a man of restless activity, a man of 
tremendous brain power, and of great insight and foresight. 

Mr. Moody was a great man every way you took him, and 
if Jesus Christ had not captured him, and claimed him, and 
used him for his service, he would have been great in the 
world's work. And then as a man, how unique, how true, 
how thorough! I admired his genius and power in organiz- 
ing. He also honored me with his friendship. I mourn his 
loss. It was impossible to know him and not to love him. 

HE WAS A HOLY MAN, A GODLY MAN, 

a saintly man. And when you think of Moody's saintliness, 
it did not suggest a recluse or a man who lives far from the 
madding crowds' ignoble strife. Oh! how human he was! 
When his life is written, I hope those who undertake the task 
will give us the man Moody as he was. I hope they will give 
a faithful delineation of him in the human sense, how he lived 
a hearty life. I have seen him roll on his couch with laughter 
in the fair happiness and gleefulness of body and soul when a 
good story would be told during that memorable campaign at 
the World's Fair in Chicago. 

I said that no man was more saintly, more devoted, no man 
had a greater passion for doing 'his work well than he. How 
human he was in the human side! Even through my tears 



390 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

I smile as I recollect him as a man, as playful to his latest day 
as a boy. Get Moody amongst children, and he was the big- 
gest romp in the crowd. An hour later that man was a flam- 
ing herald of the Cross, lifted up for Jesus Christ in the midst 
of ten thousand people. 

He is gone! One thinks of him entering heaven. One 
thinks of the multitudes who would be there to meet him, and 
of the multitudes who are to follow after him. I feel weaker; 
all of us on the evangelistic field feel weaker. Scotland to- 
day feels somewhat emptier. He bulked so large, he was so 
mighty for Christ. Alas! he is gone! May the Lord bring 
a great blessing to us out of this removal of his servant! May 
we creep closer to the Lord Himself; may we cry more might- 
ily unto Him. 

We thank God that we were privileged to know and work 
with D. L. Moody. His labors are over. What can one say? 
His end, I should think, was just as he would have wished it. 
He had gone to Kansas City, where he had spoken in a hall 
to twelve thousand people. Suddenly his strength gave way; 
his call had come, but God in his mercy gave him time to go 
home and to have all his family gathered quietly about him; 
and then his sun set for this world to rise in the next. 

He sets as sets the morning star 
That goes not down behind the darkened west. 
Nor hides obscured amidst the tempest of the sky, 
But melts away into the light of heaven. 
Servant of God, well done; 

Praise be thy new employ, 
And while eternal ages run, 
Rest in thy Master's joy. 



(f 



A Tribute From London. 

By Rev. F. B. Meyer. 

(In The Christian, London.) 

O have known D. L. Moody, and come within the 

range of his strong personality, has been to many 

men one of the most influential factors in their 

character and life-work; and it is not easy for such 

to imagine a world from which the inspiration of 

his presence has been withdrawn. It is still less easy, under 

the immediate sorrow of such bereavement, to characterize 

this natural prince and leader of men. 

He had a marvelous power over others. You cannot read 
the biographies of Dr. Andrew Bonar, of Dr. A. J. Gordon, of 
Professor Drummond, or of Dr. Dale, men as far as possible 
removed from each other in many respects, without encoun- 
tering the same tribute to the spell which this 

STRONG, TENDER, INTENSE 

nature exerted over them. There was something magnetic 
about him. Whoever was speaking at the Northfield Con- 
vention, it was the fact that Moody was present — though only 
as a listener, sitting, probably, off the platform, under the deep 
gallery on the right — which gave the session importance, and 
the speaker's words weight. Even when men have not agreed 
with him, and have seriously antagonized his positions, they 
have acknowledged the absolute sincerity and nobility of his 
character. 

I met him first in York in 1873, on ms arrival with Mrs. 
Moody and his two eldest children. Accompanied by Mr. 
and Mrs. Sankey, they had come to our country, as it ap- 
peared, by a divine prompting, and had just landed at Liver- 
pool. Some time before, the secretary of the Y. M. C. A. had 



392 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

impressed on him the two words, "Bennett, York;" and not 
knowing where else to turn, two of his friends having- sud- 
denly died, Moody telegraphed to Mr. Bennett, saying, "I will 
be in Y^ork to-night." This was Saturday. On the following 
clay he preached at the chapel, built for Rev. James Parsons, 
and then occupied by Rev. John Hunter (now of Glasgow). 
During the following week he held evening services in the old 
Lendal Chapel, and noon prayer meetings at the Y. M. C. A. 
After two or three more days with the Wesleyans, he came to 
the Baptist Chapel, of which I was minister, and conducted 
meetings there for about a fortnight, with ever-increasing 
numbers and marvelous results. He and Mr. Sankey have 
often spoken of that little vestry, where we three spent much 
time in prayer, little weening that the earnestness of our de- 
sires and intercessions were the travail pangs of so great a 
spiritual movement as followed. 

These were the days when The "Sacred Songs and Solos" 
had not been compiled, and we used a number of fly-sheets 
with paper covers. But the main lines of Moody's character 
and work were already laid. He said to me once, alluding to 
academic degrees, "I want to be D. L. Moody, O. O." And 
on my asking him what the letters stood for, he said: "Why, 
of course, Out-and-Out." 

He liked nothing better fchan to get a Bible student alone, 
and ply him with questions as to what he knew of the Bible, 
or any fresh light he had recently received. He was always 
collecting incidents, illustrations, witty and wise sayings, 
which he placed in large envelopes, on which were written 

THE KEY- WORDS OF ADDRESSES 

in course of preparation. He was not so familiar with his ad- 
dresses as he became afterwards, for one afternoon, having 
come in to tea, he hastened away suddenly to cross to the 
other side of York, to the house of Dr. Kitchen, with whom 
he was staying, to get the notes of his address on "Heaven." 



A TRIBUTE FROM LONDON. 393 

The first all-day meeting he held in England was arranged 
by us as we walked up and down Coney Street, and it was at 
my instance that the evangelists went on to Rev. A. A. Rees, 
at Sunderland, who first coined the announcement, which be- 
came so widely known, and, indeed, carried Scotland, not- 
withstanding the prejudice against the solo singer, and his 
"kist o' whistles," that "Mr. Moody would speak, and Mr. 
Sankey sing, the gospel." 

This was, of course, not his first introduction to Great Brit- 
ain, or to wide and extended work. He had first made his 
mark in Chicago, in an old shanty lighted by tallow candles, 
which had been abandoned by a saloon keeper, though his own 
education was then so imperfect that he is said to have been 
obliged to skip some of the longer words as he read the Bible 
to the children. His brushes with the saloon-keepers; his 
efforts for all outcast and neglected souls; his indefatigable 
labors in connection with the Y. M. C. A. at Farwell Hall; 
his herculean exertions for the soldiers in camp and on the 
field of battle, as a delegate of the Christian Commission dur- 
ing the Civil War; his journeyings in all parts for Sunday 
school conventions, had given him an amount of experience, 
and created a wealth of resource, which were only waiting for 
the open sphere and conspicuous platform that opened before 
his labors in England. 

His two previous visits to our country had been for the pur- 
pose of observation, and of coming in contact with leading 
Christian men. He always spoke with gratitude of the im- 
pulse he had received in the direction of Bible study from a 
Mildmay Conference, and described as one of the most im- 
portant seed-germs of his career a sentence which he over- 
heard from the lips of an eminent servant of God, in the course 
of a conversation with a friend: "The world has yet to learn 
what God can do by a man wholly devoted to Him." 

All who have heard him will recall the quiver in his voice 
when he told some pathetic story; but I never guessed the in- 



394 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

tensity of his tenderness till I saw him with his grandchildren. 
He used to drive them about in his carriage, or carry them in 
his arms. One of the most striking incidents in my memory 
was when he stood with them beside his mother's grave, in a 
summer sunset, and asked us to pray that they might be in the 
coming century what she had been in this. And when little 
Irene was dying, he used to be on the watch below her window- 
to keep all quiet, would steal down from the meetings to hear 
the latest news, would be the nurse and playmate of her little 
cousin, that all might devote themselves to the chamber of 
sickness. So touched, because a little child had sent the in- 
valid a pet lamb! How moved he was as we saw it together! 
He was absolutely fearless. I remember one occasion 
when he felt it laid on his heart to speak some unpalatable 
truths to a number of ministers and others. Ijefore me, as I 
write, is the large circle that sat around his spacious dining- 
room in the summer evening, the monument of ice-cream 
which he carved with such precision; and then the 

DIRECT UNVARNISHED WORDS, 

which wounded deeply, that a better condition of soul-life 
might be induced. Whether in a crowd, or with an individual, 
he never swerved a hair's-breadth from what he thought right, 
to win a smile, or avoid a frown. 

As a conversationalist he was charming. He would sit in 
the porch of his unpretending but comfortable house, over- 
looking the lovely landscape, telling story after story of mar- 
velous conversions. One day, for instance, a young man 
drove up as we were talking, and he told me that he had won 
him to Christ when quite a lad by a conversation on the roof 
of a Chicago hotel, that being the only quiet spot he could find 
for his purpose. Or he would recall reminiscences of men 
whom he had known. He had a great fund of information 
about agriculture; had traveled widely and observed shrewdly; 
was in keen and close touch with the great religious move- 



A TRIBUTE FROM LONDON. 395 

ments of the time; and was specially fond of asking questions 
of anyone who seemed likely to communicate reliable infor- 
mation. He was always hungry for facts. The most extra- 
ordinary contrasts met in his nature. His external 

APPEARANCE WAS ROUGH, 

and his manners brusque; but he had one of the tenderest 
hearts that beat. His scorn and hatred of anything wrong 
and mean were withering; his pity for the erring, unlimited. 
Having been debarred from the benefits of early education, 
yet — in his magnificent institution at Northfield, where 700 
young men and women are always under training, and in the 
great Bible Institute at Chicago — he has probably done more 
in the cause of learning than any other single man in America. 
Unable to sing a note, he has promoted a college of sacred 
singers. Outside the ministerial ranks — and yet he spent his 
life to help ministers and churches to do their work more effi- 
ciently. He was absolutely loyal to church organization, al- 
ways making it his aim to vitalize and quicken church life, and 
increase the efficiency of existing institutions. 

Toward the end of hs life he was greatly impressed by the 
movment for the promotion of a deeper spiritual life. I in- 
duced him to come to Keswick, which he greatly enjoyed, and 
he wrote to me saying, "I am going to do all I can to get the 
Christians to 

TAKE A HIGHER STAND, 

and to get them together." Of course, he was well aware of 
the perils attending all such movements, but he was more than 
ever persuaded that nothing but a quickened spiritual life 
would meet the requirements of the American church at this 
juncture; and nothing that I can remember filled him with 
greater glee than when, last August, two-thirds of the New 
York Presbytery spent ten days at Northfield for the purpose 
of investigating and receiving teaching concerning the deep- 
est phases in the soul's development. 



396 DWlGlil L. MOODY. 

H died triumphantly, we learn, conscious to the last, and 
bearing testimony to the gospel he had preached. 1 he great 
institutions which he created and fostered; the colportage 
work; the colleges at Chicago, and Northfield, and Mount 
Hermon; his books — these will be the works that will follow 
him. He discovered men, knew how to bring the best quali- 
ties out of them, found them spheres, and gave them back to 
themselves. Men like Mr. Mott and Mr. Speer, of the Student 
Volunteers; like Mr. Baer, of the Christian Endeavor; like 
Dr. Wilbur Chapman, the well-known evangelist; to say noth- 
ing of hundreds besides, who have passed through his colleges 
or been influenced by his missions, will perpetuate in the com- 
ing generation something of the influence and power he 
wielded in this, 

THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD. 

He never wavered in his attachment to the great fundamen- 
tals of the gospel. His sermons on the Blood, the Holy Spir- 
it, the Love of God in Jesus Christ, were great testimonies to 
the mighty truths which have been the theme of every revival 
of evangelical religion. There was no uncertain sound in the 
gospel as he preached it, and it was the Power of God unto 
salvation to tens of thousands. 

What a welcome he must have received as he entered 
heaven! Surely an abundant, a choral, entrance must have 
been ministered unto him by myriads who are there, because 
of the message uttered in burning accents by his lips. May 
God comfort his noble wife, the confidant of his secrets, the 
partner of his anxieties and toils; and grant that his children 
may be enabled to maintain the work which he has left them as 
a sacred legacy and charge. 



(@ 



A Tribute From the South. 

By Rev. Wm. E. Hatcher, D.D. 

(In the Religious Herald, Richmond, Va.) 

HE passing of Dwight L. Moody is a serious event 
in the Christian world. It withdraws from our 
evangelical forces their most conspicuous leader. 
Mr. Moody was the Christian commoner of the 
present generation, a true cosmopolitan, the 
founder of the new school of evangelism. Untrained in the 
schools, he was yet the prince and counsellor in the 
brotherhood of scholars. In his sphere he was simply 
incomparable. He stood for years as the central figure and 
almost the final authority in the evangelical movements of the 
day. He created a new literature, new music, new methods 
and a new order of preaching. As a result of his inspiring 
influence, thousands of ministers caught the evangelistic spir- 
it and devoted themselves to the work of the evangelist, and 
that too, with gracious and far-reaching results. Nor is it 
less significant that in his wake there sprang a horde of spur- 
ious evangelists, who, dazzled by his achievements, stole his 
methods, and sought to atone for their lack of attractiveness 
by a resort to invective buffoonery and vulgarity, and in not 
a few cases rallied crowds and published reports that almost 
eclipsed him. The false apostles of Moody were many — a dis- 
mal counterfeit on the genuine article. 

MOODY WAS A MAGNET. 

It is not easy to understand how he attained unto such com- 
manding power; but the fact is manifest. The best and the 
worst believed him; he was the matchless leveller. Nobles and 
peasants sat side by side on his platforms, sang out of the 
same books, and rejoiced in the same joyful hopes. All sects 



398 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

flocked to him, and each claimed him as its own. Even ex- 
tremists and fanatics felt that there was a place in him for 
them, and, without impoverishing him, enriched themselves 
by contact with him. lie was a fountain of healing waters, 
and seemed to cure all manner of diseases-. The most culti- 
vated Christian laborers delighted to associate with him in his 
works. Business men believed him on sight, quit their offices 
at the busiest hours to hear him, and gave him their money 
by the thousands. The stranded and lost felt the charm of 
his voice, and plucked up hope for a new struggle as they 
heard him. 

No man ever preached to so many persons, or put his im- 
press on so many communities, or quickened so many godly 
ministers to more hopeful and effective service. He had vis- 
ited every Protestant country on the earth, preached in every 
leading city, and in his summer schools had taught an inter- 
national theological seminary. He was built for strength, 
and he worked up to the point of endurance all the time, and 
finally fell by overstrain of his powers. 

With these few descriptive sentences I desire to unite some 
of my 

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF MOODY, 
which will in some degree unveil the secrets of his majestic 
life. My first sight of Moody was interesting. While he was 
on his first visit to Baltimore, I was invited by Dr. Kerfoot, 
then pastor of Eutaw Place Church, to assist him in revival 
services. On the night of my arrival, Dr. Kerfoot told me 
that several ministers were to meet Mr. Moody privately the 
next morning, and that he had arranged for me to be in the 
company. This, of course, was a delightful surprise and priv- 
ilege to me. There were about a dozen, possibly a few more, 
ministers present, having been assembled in a quiet room at 
the Y. M. C. A. Hall. Asking for silence, Moody said, in sub- 
stance: "My brethren, I called you here because 1 need you. 
I find my strength small in this city. My spirit is bound and I 



A TRIBUTE FROM THE SOUTH. 399 

cannot rise. I brought you here to ask you to pray for me. 
Pray that I may have liberty and do my work in Baltimore." 
By a common impulse, all sank to their knees, and for a time, 
of which no one took note, there was constant crying. One 
after another led, until each one had prayed aloud, some pos- 
sibly more than once. It was a fervent and thrilling meeting, 
but I recall no prayer except that offered by Moody. That 
was burned into the very tissue of my being — a revelation of 
the most earnest man that I had ever touched and, after the 
service ceased, I almost imagined that Moody had really been 
glorified. He shook Baltimore that winter. It has been 
said that much of Moody's power was explained by the fact 
that he had so many good and earnest people to pray for him. 
It is said that his great work done on the other side of the 
ocean was clearly in answer to the agonizing cries of two good 
women in an obscure town in Scotland, who, though they had 
never heard nor seen him, felt that he was the man to bring 
salvation to their pople. He was sent to the place to recover 
his broken health, but God put him to work, and the fire 
kindled there spread all over the British Isles. 

A BEAUTIFUL AND EFFECTING INCIDENT 

marked the beginning of Moody's work at the time of his first 
visit to Richmond. When it was known that he was coming 
to the city, quite severe criticisms were published against him, 
on account of alleged utterances of his against the South dur- 
ing the war. He heard of these attacks before coming, and 
was disposed to cancel his engagement; but our committee 
would not hear to it. He came, and commenced his work on 
Sunday morning at nine o'clock. He was evidently em- 
barrassed, and spoke with constraint and uneasiness. Just 
as the service was about to close, he descended from his little, 
elevated stand, and walked to the front of the choir platform 
and made a speech. "Friends of Richmond," he said, "you 
have been reading about me lately, and I do not think that I 



4 oo DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

said the things against the South with which I am charged; 
but I am an awful fool, and have said many foolish things in 
my day. If I ever did say anything against the South, I am 
sorry for it, and ask you to forgive me." Instantly a ripple of 
applause commenced, and swelled into a thundering roar. 
Moody bowed his head, tears were in his eyes, and he had the 
heart of Richmond. When he finished his work in Richmond, 
some of the committee insisted that I make a farewell address 
to him, assuring him of our love and gratitude. I told him 
about the request, during the last service. "Please don't do 
it," he said, "I appreciate it all; but it makes me feel like 
a fool when folks get to hurrahing over me." My speech did 
not come to pass. 

Moody was thoroughly sweet and kindly in his spirit. He 
had a peremptory manner, and did not use soft phrases. His 
will was something terrible, and when he put his foot down it 
settled many issues, and almost shook the earth. He had his 
notions of how things must be done, and it was a serious day 
when you had to tackle him. I was chairman of the Commit- 
tee of Arrangements on the occasion of his visit to Richmond, 
and we had 

A TILT WITH HIM. 
which gave us some anxiety and much amusement. We 
found that the women invariably crowded the tabernacle at 
night so early that the business men could not find entrance. 
The ministers of the city met, and, at their request, I appoint- 
ed a strong committee to wait on Moody and tell him that we 
desired seats reserved for men at night. He refused utterly 
to grant the request, and the brethren came back quite crest- 
fallen. I quietly went to my committee on ushers and had a 
talk. They were thoroughly convinced that the seats ought 
to be reserved and I told the gentlemen that I would give 
them certain instructions, if they would promise me not to let 
Mr. Moody drive them to a neglect of them. They assured 
me that anything I told them to do they would execute, to the 



A TRIBUTE FROM THE SOUTH. 401 

point of their life. I gave orders that 1,000 seats should be 
roped off for men right in front of the pulpit. I was in my 
seat, right by Mr. Moody's place on his stand, when, at 7.30 
he came in. His eye instantly saw this naked territory, the 
rest of the vast building being packed to overflowing. "What 
does that mean?" he asked, with apparent savagery. I 
looked straight ahead and simply said, "Reserved seats." "I 
don't like and don't believe in it," he said. "That's right. We 
believe in men in Richmond and want some of them saved.'' 
"But they won't come," he said. I said: "Mr. Moody, let us 
make a compromise. It is now twenty-five minutes to eight. 
If that space has one empty seat in it at five minutes to eight, 
I will see that it is filled before you begin to preach.' He said 
nothing. In a few minutes a stream of men began to pour 
in from the Main street door, and in a few moments every 
chair was taken, and a great mass of men were backed up at 
the door, and at five minutes to eight I held my watch to his 
eye and asked, "Do you feel unhappy about the vacant seats?" 
A hint of a smile played over his face, but he was silent. That 
night he closd the service by announcing: "Half of this hall 
will be reserved for men to-morrow night." The incident 
pleased me chiefly for the reason that beneath his imperious 
manner he was so kind and so ready to accept a suggestion, 
when its wisdom was so clearly demonstrated. He loved no 
method for its own sake. He never poisoned his methods 
with selfish diplomacy, and it was impossible for him to iesort 
to expedients that were doubtful. He had no'private scheme 
of his own to serve. He lived for his Master and for men. 

It put the Christian world in tears to read that at his last 
moment he said: "I see the world receding; heaven is open- 
ing, and my Savior is calling." That was a fine way for the 
faithful evangelist to bow himself away from the world. There 
must have been a royal reception when he arrived in the 
heavenly city. It will be a new revival to meet him there. 



26 



w 



Moody as a Preacher. 

E have only space for two of Mr. Moody's 
favorite sermons. Though he was constantly 
revising them and delivering them in different 
forms, yet the foundations of all his great soul- 
winning sermons were laid in the first few years 
of his evangelistic career. As the very heart and center of 
all his teaching was Atonement through Christ, who "gave 
Himself for our sins," we present the substance of Mr. 
Moody's great sermon on 

"WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?" 

One of the sermons which Mr. Moody always preached 
with great power especially to university students as at Edin- 
burgh, Glasgow and Oxford, was upon the text, "What think 
ye of Christ?" Matt. xxii:42. 

We find in this chapter that the Pharisees had made two at- 
tempts to entangle Him in His talk and in His teaching. The 
Sadducees tried it, but they were silenced by the wisdom of 
Christ. After they had appealed to Christ, Christ turns and 
asks them a question. He says, "What think -"fk of Christ, 
whose Son is He?" And they said, "He is the Son of David.'' 
Then says Christ, "How then did David call Him his Lord?" 
and they were silenced forever. The Sadducees did not be- 
lieve in the divinity of Jesus Christ. They would never have 
put Him to death if they had believed Him to be the God-man 
— what He proclaimed Himself to be. Now, before I go on, 
I want to ask you a question — not what you think of this 
church or that church; not what you think of this minister or 
that minister; not what you think of this creed or that creed; 
not what you think of this denomination or that denomina- 
tion. The question is not what do you think of this belief or 
that belief, but "What think ye of Christ?" And I think it is 



MOODY AS A PREACHER. 403 

a proper question. There isn't a noted public man in this 
country but that if I ask what you think of him, you would 
give your opinion quite freely. I hear some of you going 
out of the hall giving your opinion about the sermon, and 
sometimes it isn't very complimentary, but that is nothing. 
The question is not what you think of the preaching, or what 
you think of the singing, but "What think ye of Christ?" It 
is of very little account what you think of the minister; it is of 
very little account what you think of this dogma or that 
dogma, but it is of vast importance what you think of Christ. 
NEVER MAN SPAKE LIKE THIS MAN. 
I don't think there is any one in this hall, unless it is some 
little infant, but ought to have an opinion about Christ. I 
would like to talk about Him as a preacher, for there never 
was a preacher that preached as He did. He preached in 
words so very plain that little boys, like these down here, and 
little girls could understand them, yet the deepest theologians 
could not understand their meaning. Coming down to-day, I 
heard the little birds singing, and I could not help but think of 
His saying, "The foxes of the ground have holes, and the 
little birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not 
whereon to lay His head." He makes even the rocks preach. 
I am told by travelers in the East, that there isn't a spot that 
hasn't got some sermon of His. He just touched them, and 
He made them preach. There isn't a prodigal in the world 
but that knows the story of the prodigal son. He drew a pic- 
ture of the prodigal so vivid that you can't forget it. Try as 
much as they will to wipe out the picture, they can't forget it; 
it is like a nail in a sure place. Oh! he is a wonderful preach- 
er. I have got a boy six years old, and sometimes he comes 
and tumbles into bed with me — sometimes much earlier than 
I wish he would — and wants to have me tell him a story, but 
there is no story interests him so much as the stories that 
Christ preaches. Yes, I would like to have time to talk to 
you, and ask you what you think of him as a preacher. 



404 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

I want you just to ask yourselves this question: Do you be- 
lieve in Christ? Do you believe that He was the Son of God? 
Do you believe that He was the God-man? Do you believe 
that He was with God before the morning stars sang together 
and voluntarily left heaven and came down into this world? 
Whose son was he? Was he the Son of Man and the Son of 
God? 

WHO WAS HE, THE GOD-MAX? 
That is the question. Now, if I had come into this city to find 
out about some one, to find out about his character, who he 
was, what he was, there would be two classes of people I 
would go to see. I wouldn't go to his friends only; I would 
go to his enemies; I would go to both classes. I would go 
to his friends and go to his enemies, and see what his enemies 
had to say about him, before I gave judgment about the man. 
I have got a few witnesses I want to examine, and I will just 
imagine my audience is the jury. My witnesses are the men 
that talked with Christ — the bitterest enemies that he had. 

The first I would like to summon into this court would be 
the Sadducees. What was it they had against the Son of 
God? Why, He proclaimed the resurrection, and they didn't 
believe in the resurrection. They didn't believe in future pun- 
ishment. They didn't believe that they were going to rise 
again. And they put a question to Christ : "Now here is a wo- 
man married seven times; whose wife will she be in the rcssur- 
rection?" And Christ answered that question. And then the 
Pharisees went about planning how they might destroy Him. 
"This man receiveth sinners and cateth with them" — that 
was all they could bring against Him. That is what we like 
to glory in. Suppose we could summon the officers that ar- 
rested Him. The Sanhedrim sent out officers to arrest the 
Son of God. Where did they find Him? Did they find Him 
breaking the law? Well, these officers, they found Him in 
Gethsemane. What was He doing? Praying for a lost 
world. There He was, the drops of blood trickling down 



MOODY AS A PREACHER. 405 

upon His cheeks, for we are told that He sweat great drops of 
blood. They set false witnesses to testify against Him. They 
couldn't find any for a long time, and at last they found two 
men that would come in and swear falsely, and what did they 
swear to? They heard Him say "Destroy this temple and I 
will raise it up again in three days." Destroy this temple, 
that is — as explained by John — destroy this body, and He 
would raise it up. 

Let us bring in Caiaphas, the highest ecclesiastical poten- 
tate of the earth, president of the Sanhedrim, the chief priest 
and let Caiaphas open his lips and let him tell us why he con- 
demned the Son of God to death. They did not go and sum- 
mon his friends; they did not go and bring up Zaccheus of 
Jericho, they did not bring the poor man that had those 
legions of devils cast out of him; they did not bring the blind 
man of Jericho — they brought His enemies. Let Caiaphas 
tell his own story — suppose he stood in my place. Caiaphas, 
just tell us what was the evidence you found against the Son 
of God. He said to him, "I adjure thee by the living God, 
Art Thou the Son of God?" And He said, "I am." And 
Caiaphas says: "When I heard it I tore my mantle and said 
He was guilty of blasphemy." That is what we glory in, His 
being the Son of God. Stephen said, when the curtains were 
lifted he looked in and saw Him standing at the right hand of 
God. That is why they condemned the Son of God, just be- 
cause He was the God-man. If He wasn't divine, they did 
right to put Him to death; but He was. 

Let Pilate come in; now he is an impartial witness. He is 
no Jew, he has no prejudice against Christ. Pilate, just speak 
out now and tell us why you condemned Him to the scourge, 
and to be crucified, and why you wrote up there upon the cross 
"This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Tell us what 
did you find in Him; what fault? And hear what Pilate says: 
"I find no fault in Him." Now men condemn Pilate, and yet 
there are a great many men who are worse than Pilate, for 



406 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

they find fault in Jesus Christ. Said he, "I will chastise this 
Man and let Him go, for I find no fault in Him." But I have 
got a woman we can bring in as a witness; it was Pilate's wife. 
Whose messenger is that that comes from the palace? lie 
brings a message from Pilate's wife: "Have nothing to do 
with that just Person, for I have suffered much in a dream 
through Him." She thought He was a just Person. 

Yea, my friends, I will bring in Judas, the very prince of 
traitors. Suppose I should say: "Judas you sold the Son of 
God for thirty pieces of silver; you betrayed Him; you knew 
more about Him than Caiaphas; you knew more about Mini 
than Pilate. Come now, Judas, tell us why you betrayed 
Christ? You were with Him; you ate with Him, and drank 
with Him, and slept with Him; tell us what you think of "Him? 
I can imagine him throw down the thirty pieces of silver, as he 
cries in agony, "I betrayed innocent blood." Oh yes, it is 
easy to condemn Judas nowadays; but how many men are 
worse than that? And he went out and put an end to his ex- 
istence. Now bear in mind I am not calling up His friends 
I am calling up His enemies. The testimony is perfectly over- 
whelming in favor of Jesus Christ that He was the Son of 
God, as well as the Son of David. But here is another wit- 
ness, and that is the Roman centurion. 

He occupied the same position as the sheriff does now. This 
centurion of the Roman band had to go to Calvary and put 
the Son of God to death. He is a Gentile, and an impartial 
judge; let him tell us what he thinks of the Son of God. 
Come, now, centurion, you had charge of the execution of 
Jesus of Nazareth; you were there when He died. Here is 
his testimony: 

"TRULY THIS WAS THE SON OF GOD." 

That is what he thought, and to me it is one of the most strik- 
ing things in all scripture that God made every man testify 
that He was not guilty. I will go further. I will take the 



MOODY AS A PREACHER. 407 

very devils in hell, for God made them testify; and what did 
they testify? They called Him ''that Son of the Most High 
God." They knew Him. "Art Thou come to torment us be- 
fore our time?" And, my friends, what think ye to-day: was 
He the Son of God? And did He die for a sinful world? 
What think ye of Christ to-day? Whose Son is He? 

I wish I had time to examine His friends. It would take 
all day and all nig^ht, and I think the whole of the week. 
Suppose I could examine that mighty preacher, the prince of 
preachers, a man that with his eloquence — and he had the 
eloquence of heaven — drew all men to hear him. All Judea 
and Jerusalem came clown from the mountains to hear him. 
He drew the cities of Judea into the wilderness to hear him 
preach. What mighty power he had! Now, let us call in 
this wilderness preacher, who looks more like Elijah than 
anv other prophet since Elijah. Ask John the Baptist, What 
think ye, John, of Christ? Hear his testimony: "I bear 
record this is the Son of God." That is what he thought. 
He forever settled that question. Another time he says of 
Christ, 

"BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD 
that taketh away the sins of the world." John didn't have 
but one text after that, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh 
away the sins of the world." John said, "He must increase, 
but I must decrease." O, sinner, what do you think of Him 
to-day? Do you think He will save you if you trust Him? 
Let us bring in some more of these witnesses. There is Peter. 
You know there was a time he swore he never knew Him. Do 
you think he would say now with a curse, "I never knew 
Him"? We are told that he was crucified with his head down- 
ward because he was not worthy to be crucified in the same 
way that Christ was. Peter thought a good deal of Him. I 
might bring in doubting Thomas; he didn't believe Christ had 
risen, but Christ says, "Thomas, did you say that you wouldn't 
believe unless you saw? Put your fingers in my side and feel 



408 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

the wound there. Put your fingers in the palm of my hand 
and feel the wound there," and Thomas cried out, 

"MY LORD AND MY GOD." 

Convinced of the divinity of Jesus Christ, his cloud of unbe- 
lief was scattered to the four winds of heaven. If I should 
call up that beloved disciple who knew Him better than any 
one else upon earth, it would take a great while to find out 
what John thought of Him. I could just summon into this 
audience another witness, and one that had such a hatred 
against Christ. The Frenchman said, "It took twelve fisher- 
men to establish the Kingdom of Christ, and one Frenchman 
could tear it down." So Saul of Tarsus thought. The Son of 
God just spoke to him, "Saul! Saul! why persecutest- thou 
Me?" 

"WHO ART THOU LORD?" 

"I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." "Lord, what wilt thou 
have me do?" One glance and he became a new man. O 
sinner, may you hear that tender, loving voice of the Savior, 
and may you this day and this hour think well of the Son of 
God. 

'O, what think ye of Him? Young lady, what do you 
think? Mother, what do you think? Do you think enough 
of Him to trust Him? If you want to please a father here 
on earth, you will think well of his son, and if you want to 
please the Heavenly Father you will think well of His Son. 

Now, before I close, let me ask you one question — take it 
home with you — and that is this: 

"WHY DOXT YOU LOVE HIM?" 

Just think now, can you give a reason for not loving Him? 
I knew an infidel who was asked by a little child why he didn't 
love Jesus, and he finally said to himself, I will just find out 
why I don't love Jesus. He took the Bible and opened it to 
the book of John — if you want to find out why you don't love 



MOODY AS A PREACHER. 409 

Jesus, don't look there. He found that God so loved the 
world that He gave Christ for it, and the poor infidel's heart 
was broken. And that night he was on his knees crying for 
mercy. Oh, sinner, do think well of Christ to-day! Love 
Him to-day! Give your souls to Him this blessed evening, 
the last Sabbath of this blessed month! This day and this 
hour let us press into the kingdom of God. 

NO ROOM FOR CHRIST. 

During the last week of Mr. Moody's great meetings in 
Glasgow, in May, 1874, the services were held in The Crystal 
Palace. At nine o'clock Sunday morning he spoke to the 
shop girls in part as follows, from the text: "There was no 
room for them in the inn." — Luke ii:7. 

For four thousand years the Jews had been looking for 
Christ and now he had come. And the first we read of Him 
is that there is no room for Him in the inn at Bethlehem. 

The sinner's heart is very much like that little inn at Bethle- 
hem; it has no room for Christ. If a prince comes to this 
country from some foreign land, there is sure to be room for 
him, and the best you have is not good enough to bestow upon 
him. Yet here is the Prince of Heaven, the Prince of Peace, 
come to earth and there is no room for Him in the inn at 
Bethlehem! 

Think what He came for; He came to seek and to save that 
which was lost, 

TO REDEEM A LOST WORLD. 

He might have come with all the pomp and grandeur of 
heaven; He might have had a million of angels in his train. 
But He left behind Him all the glory He had with His Father, 
and stooped from the throne and went clear down into the 
manger, that He might get His arm under the vilest sinner 
and lift him up to the heights of glory. 

Some one has said that the Jews did not know He was the 
Messiah, or they would have given Him a glorious reception. 



410 DWIGIIT L. MOODY. 

Would they? Why, we read that when the wise men came 
with the glad tidings that lie was the King of the Jews, "Her- 
od and all Jerusalem was troubled." There was no one in 
Jerusalem that wanted Him any more than in Bethlehem. 
Herod hunted for His life as if He were some terrible mur- 
derer, so that His parents were obliged to flee into a foreign 
land. 

Has the world grown any better during these eighteen hun- 
dred years? Is Christ wanted to-day? 

If He should come again, would He be welcome? Would 
the nations of the earth receive Him with delight and glad- 
ness? What nation would make room for Him to-day? If 
it were put to the public vote, what nation would vote to have 
Him come back to be their king? Talk about England and 
America being Christian nations; do you think either of them 
would invite Him to come? Has America got room for Him? 
Eighteen hundred years have rolled by since He went away, 
and more has been written about Him and said about Him 
than any other man, or thousand men, or million men, and 
yet there is no nation under heaven that wants Him. When 
He was down here there was not a village in any part of the 
country that wanted Him. He went to Nazareth, where He 
was brought up; He went into the synagogue and began to 
tell out the glad tidings. They took Him to the brow of the 
hill, and would have cast Him into hell if they could. The) 1 
put Him out of town. And there is not a town or village 
under the sun to-day but would do the same. People say the 
world is growing so much better; but, as I have said, there is 
not a nation anywhere to-day that wants Him. Does Ger- 
many, or France, or England or America? 

Not only that; there is something a good deal worse than 
that. There is hardly a church in Christendom that wants 
Him. Go to any of the churches next Sunday, and ask if 
they would vote to have Him come back. Why, my friends, 
the church has not got room for Him. She is not praying 



MOODY AS A PREACHER. 411 

and longing for His return. Go down to the Exchange and 
ask if they have got room for Him. Why, a good deal of the 
business would have to be done on different principles. Men 
would say, "We cannot quite make so much money, and we 
don't want Him." If it should be put to the vote in congress, 
would they have Him back? Is there room for Him among 
our statesmen and those who are making our laws? Would 
they invite Him back? Why, there would be a great commo- 
tion among the nations of the earth if He were to come. The 
fact is, there is no room for Him in the world yet. Our homes, 
our churches, the nations of the earth, are like that little inn 
at Bethlehem. There is room for everything else; but in the 
church and the world to-day is "no room for Him." It is one 
thing to talk about Christ and salvation, but when we come to 
talk about the return of a personal Christ, is there a church 
that is crying for Him? 

It is time for every true child of God to wake out of his 
sleep, to trim his lamp and make ready for the return of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. If nations of the world, if the churches, 
are not longing for His return, 

LET US MAKE ROOM FOR HIM. 

Look at the hundreds and thousands hastening down to death 
and ruin! Let us invite our rejected King back into this 
world. Do not let us be like the men of Decapolis, who, 
when Christ snapped the fetters from the poor demoniac, 
came to Him, and with one accord constrained Him to depart 
out of their coasts. There was no room for Him in Decapolis. 
There is a passage in the seventh chapter of John, last verse, 
that is very touching. It has often brought tears to my eyes 
— "And every man went into his own house." Then we read 
in the opening words of the eighth chapter (the two chapters 
should not be divided; they are really one) — "Jesus went into 
the Mount of Olives." There was no room for Him in Jerus- 
alem that night; no one wanted Him. He had no house of 



412 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

His own to which He could go. ''The foxes have holes, the 
birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where 
to lay His head." 

Oh, friends, think of the Prince of Glory coming down into 
this world and having no place to lay His head! There was 
no one to receive Him. 

He had to go into the Mount of Olives and spent the night 
there alone. I have often thought that I would like to have 
had a house in Jerusalem that night and to have invited Him 
there. But if I had, I suppose my door would have been 
locked against Him like the rest. There is one thing we can 
all do — our hearts can receive Him, and that will please Him 
best of all. 

What a blessing Martha got by receiving Him into her 
house. 

THERE WAS OXE HOME IN BETHANY 
always open to Him. He was a welcome guest there, and He 
often went when He was tired and weary. They had room for 
Him there, and He always goes where there is room for Him. 
The moment you make room for Him in your hearts He will 
come in. Was it not the best thing Martha and Mary could 
have done to make room for Him? One day sickness came 
to that dwelling, and Lazarus lay on his dying bed. They had 
physicians, I suppose, from Jerusalem, and the moment they 
pronounced him to be in danger they sent a message and told 
Jesus that he was sick. The messenger goes and tells Jesus 
about it, but before he gets there Lazarus is dead. There is 
sorrow that night in Bethany. I can see those two broken- 
hearted sisters weeping over the body. They laid him away in 
the little grave-yard at Bethany, and they came back to their 
dark and desolate home. Many of you know how dark a 
home seems when some loved one is gone. Some friends 
came to comfort them; but what poor comforters they were, 
compared to Hini who was absent. The messenger came 
back and told them what Jesus had said, and at last He comes 



MOODY AS A PREACHER. 413 

Himself. Out goes Martha to meet Him, and she says, "If 
Thou hadst been here my brother had not died." He calls for 
Mary, and away goes Martha and tells her, 'The Master is 
come and calleth for thee." Is there a Mary here to-day 
whom the Master is calling? Up rises Mary to meet Him, 
and she, too, says, like Martha, "If Thou hadst been here my 
brother had not died." On that occasion were uttered some 
of the sublimest words that ever fell from the lips of the Son of 
God — "I am the Resurrection and the Life; he that believeth 
in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever 
liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." 

I can see these two sisters, one on each side of Him. They 
tell Him all about their brother's sickness and his last mes- 
sages, and the Son of God begins to weep. If there is a brok- 
en heart here to-day, Jesus is in full sympathy with you. You 
can have 

NO FRIEND LIKE THE SON OF GOD. 

He has got power to help you. They go to the grave, and 
Jesus bids them take away the stone. Martha's faith begins 
to stagger. Some one has said it was a blessed privilege to 
roll away the stone. It is a blessed privilege to do anything 
the Master tells us to do. With a word the Son of God calls 
him up — "Lazarus come forth." The moment Lazarus heard 
His voice he knew it, and forth he came out of the sepulchre. 
Look at him as he goes back to the house, arm-in-arm with 
the Son of God. How astonished the people must have been; 
they must have gone mad almost with excitement. Look 
into that little home: There is Jesus at the table, and Lazar- 
us; Martha still serves, and Mary looks on in wonder. 

Was it not the best thing Martha could have done to make 
room for Christ? You do not know how near death is. The 
best thing you can do is to receive the Resurrection and Life 
into your home and your heart. Let us welcome Him into 
our hearts. Say this minute, 



414 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

"WELCOME, THRICE WELCOME, SON OF GOD, 

into this heart of mine." He will come. What does He say? 
Hark! "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man 
hear my voice and will open the door, I will come in to him 
and sup with him and he with Me!" Does your heart throb? 
Do you hear the still small voice whispering to you to let Him 
in? That is Jesus; He wants to come into your heart to-day. 
Oh, receive Him! 

Then let death come; you can shout over death and the 
grave and hell. May God help you to make room for Christ. 
You make room for Him here, and He will make room for you 
up yonder. He will come back by-and-by and receive His 
own out of this dark world into that home He has gone to 
prepare. "As many as received Him to them gave He power 
to become the sons of God." 

Did you ever have a period in your life when you felt as if 
no one wanted you? I had that experience for about two 
days, and it nearly broke my heart. I wanted to die. It was 
a terrible thought that no one wanted me. I was a stranger 
in a strange city looking for work. I went from place to 
place, and got only a gruff answer — "No, sir;" "No, sir." No 
one wanted me. It seemed as if the Son of God must have 
had something of that feeling down here; no one wanted Him. 
The world did not want Him; it took Him and put Him to 
death. If He should come here, and go from one to another, 
would you say, "No, Jesus, I do not want you; go Thy way 
this time;" or would you 

OPEN YOUR HEART AND LET HIM IN? 

In one place it speaks of His locks being wet with the dews of 
the night. Oh, may God help every unsaved soul to receive 
the Son of God. He has gone up on high to make room there 
for us. We are told in one place that He looked toward 
heaven and sighed. He saw sickness and disease and death 
all around Him, and no one wanted Him, so He looked to- 



MOODY AS A PREACHER. 415 

ward home. I can imagine He was home-sick. There He 
was loved by all. Oh, sinner, won't you have this reject- 
ed King? Won't you do as Martha and Mary did — receive 
Him into your heart and home this very hour? 

HIS SPIRIT, ELOQUENCE AND POWER. 

We feel that it is scarcely within the power of human lan- 
guage to bring this brief sketch of the Life and W r ork of 
Dwight L. Moody to a fitting close; or to gather up in a single 
paragraph or two, the consuming zeal and tireless energy 
with which he wrought for the salvation of men. His was the 
inspiration of love for Christ and for souls which brought into 
use every faculty and power of soul and body. Pie kept back 
no part of the price, but laid his all upon the altar, to the utter- 
most farthing. To the last ounce of energy his soul could 
command from his wearied frame at Kansas City, he sold 
his life as dearly as possible. 

For many years his soul had been fed upon the finest of the 
wheat. Pie had received the Word of God as the very bread 
of life. His soul was ever refreshing itself with copious 
draughts of the water of life; and according to his need hidden 
springs gushed forth in the desert. To his vision the grace of 
God which bringeth salvation appeared as clear and glorious 
as the sun shining at mid-day out of a cloudless sky. The 
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in receiving sinners, the salva- 
tion which is by grace without the deeds of the law, the gift of 
God which is eternal life to every one that believeth, the gos- 
pel of deliverance from the power of sin through faith in Jesus 
Christ — this gospel he proclaimed in a simple, scriptural, but 
most earnest and intense manner. 

He proclaimed a crucified and glorified Christ. He hon- 
ored the Holy Ghost by believing in His constant presence 
and power. And as he preached this gospel to thousands 
and tens of thousands sitting before him, motionless and al- 
most breathless, sin-stricken and conscience-smitten, as he 



416 DWIGHT L. MOODY. 

beheld the marks of sin upon many faces, and felt the pres- 
ence of the Holy Ghost searching the hearts of the people 
while old men trembled with emotion and strong men strove 
in vain to keep back reluctant tears; as he gazed upon the 
drooping heads of sorrowing women while children looked 
up to him with eager, wondering eyes — then it was that the 
power of the living Spirit of God seemed to come upon him, 
then he realized the blessed fascination of the gospel of Christ, 
and with thrilling tones of gladness declared the old, old story 
to the multitudes hurrying on to judgment. 

Who that has ever felt this tide of spiritual emotion rush- 
ing through his soul like waves of electric energy, can ever 
forget the superhuman, the divine eloquence which flowed 
forth in his burning words? In the preceding pages many and 
varied and eloquent testimonials to Mr. Moody have been pre- 
sented to our readers; and we have neither the space nor the 
inclination to seek to analyze afresh the secrets, or the ele- 
ments of his power as a preacher. 

But if to be able to draw people by the tens of thousands to 
hear the gospel, if by the power of impassioned speech these 
multitudes can be swayed to laughter or moved to tears, or 
wrought up to breathless and almost fearful expectancy of 
that tremendous "therefore" of conviction which smites met! 
in anguish to the ground and compels them to cry out, "What 
must we do to be saved?" — if these are elements of power then 
Mr. Moody was one of the most powerful and eloquent 
preachers of the nineteenth century. His was the all-powerful 
eloquence of a man full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith, and 
fired with indomitable zeal for the glory of God and the sal- 
vation of men. And when you multiply that power and zeal 
and eloquence and success by more than thirty years of the 
most indefatigable toil, it is not too much to say that Mr. 
Moody was the mightiest preacher who has ever lived since 
the days of Paul the great Apostle to the Gentiles. 



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